Nearly 2,000 firefighters and civilian volunteers are battling forest fires raging for the fifth day in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The fires broke out in the forests of Liangshan Prefecture on Tuesday in Ma'an Village of Mianning County. Strong and unpredictable winds caused the fire to spread rapidly across the region. Firefighting brigades have so far extinguished a fire line extending over 53 kilometers. Local departments are calling for more protective measures to ensure the safety of firefighting personnel. No casualties have been reported so far. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.