Rescue volunteers win applause in Chongqing's battle against wildfires

(ECNS) -- The mountain fires in several regions in Southwest China's Chongqing were put out on Friday morning with people from all walks of life voluntarily pitching in overnight after the fire broke out on Aug. 17 due to the extreme heat wave and drought.

Local residents in Chongqing, along with thousands of rescue workers and volunteers from all walks of life, rushed to take part in the rescue operations. Their stories have won applause worldwide.

Under a scorching sun, some residents used chain saws to fell trees to make fire barriers. Motorcyclists transported firefighters and supplies up a mountain, while some volunteers delivered food and drinks by foot. Women and children helped organize supplies and clear the ground while performing other essential tasks.

Volunteers include professional road testers, motorcycle enthusiasts, delivery workers, and adult students. Although they come from all walks of life and don’t know each other, they all feel they are more responsive to volunteering than anyone else, said Lianhe Zaobao, the flagship Chinese daily in Singapore, on Sunday.

Netizens on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, were also moved by their stories.

“If high-tech and equipment can’t reach the place, use unity and faith to step”, a netizen commented on an on-site video on YouTube.

“Thinking of last year’s Australian, it is burned for more than 200 days, and it is only in China that such a united fire is put out”, a netizen added.

“I'm Argentine. I live in Argentina. I think China is a great country. China has a strength of unity, and it is a country of heroes. VIVA CHINA”, another netizen said.

On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin posted a picture of a mountain road illuminated by Chongqing locals, who used their headlamps to light the way in preventing the fire from spreading along Jinyun Mountain.

The illumination on the mountain road was described by netizens as a "Firefighting Great Wall" formed by people. The comments under the post are full of concern and encouragement from the world.

“Patriotic brave citizens volunteering to show the love of country spirit. They are really heroes in time of need”, a netizen commented.

The care for the family and the country is the most simple, affectionate, and powerful emotion of the Chinese people. In every crisis and emergency, whenever the country and the people need it, there are always millions of people who come forward spontaneously, Global Times said in a recent editorial on Saturday.