Chongqing- Fires have been raging on a mountain forest in Banan District for around nine hours come half past three on the morning of August 22. Xu Rui, 22, has become an impromptu materials dispatcher in the local village of Xinyu, where he coordinated between nearly one hundred motorcyclists preparing to deliver crates of water for teams of firefighters.

In the past, Xu served in the army for two years and wished to fight the fires on the front line. However, his request was denied because of the extreme danger involved. It was instead charged with the responsibility of coordinating volunteers who had arrived from all over the city to help.

Young volunteers coordinate the transport of vital materials throughout the night in the battle against recent mountain forest fires in Chongqing (Photograph provided by cqnews.net)

Most volunteers have never met before, yet call each other "brother" as they deliver materials such as water, bread, and glucose products to a centralized collection point near the front line. A pair of motorcyclists named Yi Yuanyun and Guo Renming are two such volunteers who have made countless trips up and down the challenging mountain terrain. Each time they have a few moments to rest, they gulp down two bottles each to wet their dry throats before moving to the next delivery.

As 3 am approaches, Guo checks several WeChat groups he joined, including Beibei Hutou Mountain Rescue, Mototorbike Deliveries, and Jieshi Town Assistance. Scrolling down through the chat, he sees fellow volunteers communicating non-stop as they figure out ways to help relieve the situation.

Crates of water are packed tightly into a volunteer's car as they prepare to deliver support materials to the front line (Photograph provided by cqnews.net)

A couple by the surnames of Yun and Tang grew up in the nearby Yangjiagou area and traveled hastily by car to see how they could aid their former neighbors, who had already been relocated to a safe location. Desperate to assist, they loaded crates of water onto the backseat and into their luggage compartment, eager to transport as much as possible.

Many of these volunteers work as motorcycle delivery men during the daytime but work tirelessly throughout the night to make a valuable contribution to the firefighting effort. Come nearly 4 a.m., another last driver leaves Yangjiagou for the scene, and before setting off, he secures a few loose water bottles onto his motorcycle. ‘Citizens donated these water bottles, and seeing the effort they made to bring them here, it would be an injustice to leave them by the side of the road.’

The blaze upon Hutou Mountain in Beibei District is visible from the adjacent motorway and for miles into the distance (Photograph taken by James Alexander).

Amid the darkness of night, Xu Rui heads for the Nantianmen collection point, as equipment like fuel-powered chainsaws needs to be dispatched to the front line, and the battle against rampant forest fires in the mountains of Chongqing continues amidst the record-breaking drought and heatwave.

Firefighters excavate a 60-meter wide barrier 

One of the key tactics employed by firefighting teams to prevent further spread of the blaze has been to clear a 60-meter-wide strip of the mountainside by sawing down trees and excavating ditches.

To achieve this goal by noon on August 22nd, 176 team members worked around the clock under temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius yet persevered despite the ravages of heat and exhaustion. Once their task was completed, the team hurried to Xiema Town of Beibei District the next day to assist with serious mountain fires that had also broken out.

Chongqing fire brigades and volunteers have extinguished 13 out of 18 blazes. (Photograph provided by cqnews.net)

This extreme round of heatwaves and droughts has affected nearly two million people spread over 778 towns in 36 counties and districts around Chongqing Municipality. Since August, there have been a total of 18 forest fires, 13 of which have been extinguished, while the remaining five are currently being tackled. To date, there have been no reported casualties.

Currently, forestry management bureaus are strengthening inspections to prevent sources of fire, implemented through a clear system of responsibilities, the frequency of patrols at key locations, and early warning mechanisms.

Meanwhile, an action plan has been initiated to inspect and rectify electrical installations that pose a fire hazard in forests and grasslands and uncover the use of fire that violates regulations. So far, rectifications have been made to 1237 spots identified as fire hazards and 3441 hazardous electrical installations in the municipality.