Evacuations after forest fires

More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from Chongqing as forest fires continue to rage in the neighboring mountains. According to authority statements, at least four districts of the city were affected. Thousands of firefighters were deployed, the Financial Times reported. Wildfires also broke out in the province of Sichuan due to the regional drought. Authorities issued a „red“ level fire warning late Tuesday night, warning that the situation in forest areas in central and southern Chongqing and eastern Sichuan was „extremely dangerous,“ Reuters reports. 19 forest fires have occurred in the region since August 14. The provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou are also on high alert for forest and grassland fires.