A major forest fire that was rekindled Thursday by winds in the southeast of the Tibet Autonomous Region has been brought under control.

The fire is unlikely to spread farther, said Zhoigar, chief of the administrative office with Nyingchi Prefecture.

Fire is most serious in the west and is spreading farther because of strong winds, said Zhoigar. He emphasized, however, the fire on the western front was controlled.

"The west will be the focus of our fire fighting efforts," said Zhoigar.

The primitive forest in Nyingchi County was on fire on Monday, with 400 hectares being affected, but the visible flames were put out temporarily on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, affected by the weather, smoke was seen rising from the burnt streak, and at some points, fire was rekindled.

About 4,000 people, including soldiers from the People's Liberation Army forces and armed police, were helping fight the fire.

Meteorological workers resorted to cloud-seeding operations, including firing 20 rockets, and forced the fall of moderate snow in the forested land, which helped curb the spreading of the fire.

Nyingchi, about 400 kilometers from the regional capital Lhasa, is covered by dense forests which make up more than 46 percent of the area.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2008)