A forest fire broke out Friday in the north Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, local authorities said.

The fire was spotted at about 1 PM in the Kuizhonghe forestry farm of the Dayang Forestry Bureau in the Greater Higgnan Mountains, said an official with the regional forest fire command center.

Two firefighting teams -- one of 30 people and another of 100 -- had been sent to the site, the official said. The fire was still burning as of late Friday.

Initial investigations indicated that the fire was started by local villagers who were burning grassy areas to open up new fields, the official added.

The total area affected could not be immediately confirmed.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2008)