BEIJING -- The State Headquarters for Forest Fire Control issued a red alert, the most serious, for forest fires on Friday amid persistent hot weather.

Regions with the red alert include Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei Provinces and Chongqing Municipality, where the highest temperatures are expected continue to stay above 35 degrees Celsius for the next three days.

Cities and prefectures in these regions are required to strengthen fire monitoring.

Since July, many parts of China have been experiencing extreme heat. Fifty-five forest fires erupted in Hunan Province from July 1 to August 4, mainly triggered by naked flames, smoking and short-circuits, aggravated by the hot and dry weather.