And now turning to the ascent of the Olympic flame up the world's highest peak, Mt. Qomolangma, or Mt. Everest.

Fire safety has become an important issue for all the residents waiting for the weather to clear at the Mt. Qomolangma base camp. Currently there are about one hundred tents at the base camp. And this year April and May have been even windier than usual.

Our reporter You Yu filed this report.

Reporter:

It's very difficult for fire fighters to work at an altitude of 5,200 meters. And besides the altitude problems, the base camp is a temporary residential area, with no fire safety infrastructure at all.

Water is the first problem that must be overcome by the fire fighters.

Fire Chief Liu Qingyong says water must first be carried to the base camp from 3 kilometers away, and then it must be kept from freezing in a pool inside a special tent.

"In order to keep the water from freezing, we placed the pool of water in a tent. It's like an indoor swimming pool. We have people inspect and maintain the pool everyday. Additionally, since there are no fire alarms, we use a very traditional method. We put up a bronze gong that is sounded in case of a fire emergency. "

All the fire extinguishers and fire safety equipment are strategically placed around the base camp, so that the fire fighters can get to the equipment quickly without wasting time in case of an emergency.

Liu Qingyong says they have also prepared specially made fireproof panels to minimize loss in case of a fire.

"If a tent catches fire we can use three of the fireproof panels to encircle the tent and protect the other tents. This could be very helpful in case of windy weather. We can protect the most important equipment."

Fire fighters patrol the base camp 24 hours a day. The camp is located in a valley with ridges both to the east and to the west and Liu Qingyong has placed observation posts on both ridges.

"In very windy weather, our team will be divided into two patrols at the base camp and when there are light winds, the observation posts on the ridges are activated. They contact us through a wireless radio."

In addition, a brochure about fire safety regulations has been distributed to every tent.

You Yu, CRI News, at Mt Qomolangma base camp.

* 如果因您不良评论或重复评论导致评论被删，您将会被扣掉一定数额的金币。
* 您必须遵守《全国人大常委会关于维护互联网安全的决定》及中华人民共和国其他有关法律法规。
* 承担一切因您的行为而直接或间接导致的民事或刑事法律责任。
* 您发表的文章仅代表个人观点，与大耳朵网站无关。
* 大耳朵评论管理人员有权保留或删除其管辖评论中的任意内容。
* 您在大耳朵网评论系统发表的作品，大耳朵网有权在网站内转载或引用。
* 参与本评论即表明您已经阅读并接受上述条款。