China's Ministry of Agriculture has urged local governments to step up preparations to combat potential grassland fires.

Zhang Baowen, vice minister and the director of the grassland fire prevention headquarters, told officials to take lessons from the forest fires that ravaged parts of Greece in August and urged fire prevention departments to strengthen fire supervision and eliminate hidden dangers.

As the grass turns yellow in autumn's windy weather and drought attacks north China's Inner Mongolia, northeast and northwest China, the grasslands become increasingly vulnerable to fire.

The unfavorable weather and the increase of inflammable dry grass all make our work more difficult, said Zhang, blaming a lack of funds.

(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2007)