This footage shows an entire mountainside ablaze as a bush fire rages through a national park in China.
Video taken in Laoshan District in the coastal city of Qingdao, which is in East China’s Shandong Province, shows large plumes of grey and black smoke rising from the mountainside and floating out into the East China Sea.
Mount Lao – known as Laoshan in Mandarin – forms part of Laoshan Forest National Park.
Video Credit: AsiaWire
Surrounding residents and visitors were evacuated by the emergency services shortly after reports of the fire came in at 12:15pm local time yesterday (19th March), a statement from the municipality said.
Footage of the forest fire shows trees and shrubs ablaze in the national park, which is one of Qingdao’s most popular tourist attractions as it jets out into the sea.
Qingdao People’s Government said the fire service, emergency management office, and forestry bureau responded to the incident.
The blaze, which was exacerbated by strong winds in north and north-eastern regions in China, engulfed the entire mountainside before firefighters brought it under control, officials reported.
No civilians or emergency crew members were harmed during the incident, which is still being investigated.
The cause of the fire was still unclear at the time of writing.
Officials did not say whether they suspected arson.
Video Credit: AsiaWire
A bush fire engulfs Mount Lao in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong, China 
A bush fire engulfs Mount Lao in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong, China
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Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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