Forest fire rages in SW China (7)

CHENGDU, April 11-- A forest fire is raging in southwest China's Sichuan Province, threatening a factory with explosive storage nearby, local authorities said on Friday.

A fire broke out at around 2:46 p.m. in a forest near Changbanqiao Village in the remote Liangshan Prefecture under the city of Xichang, which is mainly populated by ethnic Yi people, the sources with Liangshan forest police said.

The fire covers an area of three hectares and may threaten a chemical factory with nearby explosive storage, the sources said.

Firefighters, forest police officers, armed police and a helicopter have been dispatched to battle the blaze.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.