A fire broke out unexpectedly at a hill in the Xialian Village, Changning City, Hunan Province, on July 31. The fire spread rapidly towards a nearby ammunition depot. The soldiers of the Armed Police Changning Squadron rushed there and fought for 3 hours before the fire was put out.

　　At 9:30 that morning, the soldiers of the squadron saw black smoke rising in tea plantation located on hill 200 meters away from their barracks. "Fire"! Shouted a soldier who first saw the fire, the officers of the squadron immediately dispatched soldiers to the scene while at the same time, reporting the fire situation to the local government. Twenty-two officers and men arrived at the fire site in two minutes.

　　The fire scene was very close to an ammunition depot. With the help of wind the fire if spread rapidly towards the depot.It would be a great disaster if the ammunition depot caught fire. The soldiers promptly divided themselves into two teams, with one stopping the fire, another clearing up an isolating zone. Officers and soldiers fought the fire with shoves, hoes, and tree branches. Some of the soldiers' faces were smoked black, some had their eyebrow or clothes burned, some even got hurt. Local people and soldiers of the people armed forces department soon pitched in. The joint efforts of servicemen and local people finally stopped the fire at the place 70 meters far from the ammunition depot.

　　By Liu yonghui

　　(September 10, PLA Daily)