The blaze has destroyed 7,000 Mu(467 hectares) of forest, according to the provincial forestry department.

The fire has made its way through three isolation belts and fire fighters are building a fourth.

The fire has been aggravated by a prolonged drought and windy weather, said officials.

Locals living at a nearby village have been evacuated from the path of the fire.

The blaze started on March 29 in Anning, about 28 kilometers from Kunming, capital of Yunnan.

"Preliminary investigations show it was an arson," said Wang Dexiang, deputy-director of Yunnan Provincial Forestry Department.

Further investigations are underway. Enditem

Editor:

Mo Hong'e