Officials with State Forestry Administration (SFA) said the fires were mainly caused by farmers burning grass, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Some places also lacked strict control over fire sources and immediate prevention and firefighting measures, SFA officials said.

According to SFA statistics, November saw no ease in forest fires with a supervision satellite detecting frequent blazes in Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces in eastern China, and Hunan province in central China.

The SFA has circulated an emergency notice urging all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities to enforce prohibitions against starting fires, Xinhua said.

Forestry departments were also urged to help find the people who lit the fires.

The government has warned that officials who delay fire prevention efforts due to negligence or dereliction of their duties would be severely punished.

TERRA.WIRE