A forest fire flared up in Xichang, capital of the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Monday afternoon.

More than 300 firefighters and more than 700 militiamen had arrived at the scene, where people had been evacuated. No casualties were reported, according to the Xichang municipal Forest Protection and Fire Prevention Headquarters office.

The initial site of the blaze was at the Daying Farm in Xichang. A strong wind spread the blaze to Lushan Mountain in the city.

Witnesses in downtown Xichang said they could see the blaze and smell heavy smoke from it.

Xichang has imposed emergency traffic control on some sections of the city's roads, according to the its police bureau.

In a related development, a forest fire took place in Muli county in the Liangshan prefecture on Saturday evening.

That fire has spread to an area of nearly 30 hectares. More than 2,000 people are trying to extinguish the blaze, according to the county Forest and Grassland Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Headquarters office.