China deploys helicopters to control forest fire

Three helicopters were dispatched today to control a forest fire raging in east China's Shandong province, local officials said.

Firefighters were still working to extinguish flames that continued to burn at a few sites, although they have contained the blaze.

The fire broke out at yesterday in a forest in the coastal city of Weihai, the city government said.

The helicopters joined the firefighting operation to prevent the fire reigniting and secondary disasters, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

No casualties have been reported and hundreds of locals have been evacuated to emergency shelters nearby.