Large Fire That Engulfed Mountain Region in Hong Kong Put Out

HONG KONG (AP) -- Firefighters have extinguished a blaze that engulfed at least 20 hectares (50 acres) of forest in suburban Hong Kong, the government said Monday.

The fire in Pat Sin Leng, a largely uninhabited mountainous area, was extinguished Monday morning, said a government spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity. The fire was reported late Saturday but it remains unclear when and how it broke out, she said.

Dozens of firefighters and conservation workers battled the fire on the ground while helicopters dropped water from the air.

The fire spread quickly because of recent dry weather and winds, Hong Kong's fire chief told reporters earlier.

Late last month a major fire broke out in woodland on the rural island of Lantau near the site of Hong Kong Disneyland.