SHIJIAZHUANG, June 13 -- Four villagers suffocated to death during a wheat field fire as summer harvest hits full bloom in the northern Hebei Province, said local authorities.

Fire broke out in farmland where wheat was being harvested in Fenggu and Dongyangzhuang villages in Daming County at midday Friday.

Firefighters found four villagers, two men and two women, who lost consciousness due to smoke inhalation after they arrived at the scene to put out the fire.

Doctors failed to resuscitate them. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Villagers in rural areas often have a poor awareness of fire prevention. It is common for farmers in many places to simply ignite the excess straw in the fields after harvest in order to plant summer crops.

Wheat field fires have also recently been reported in Henan Province, but no casualties were reported.