According to the provincial forestry department, the blaze has destroyed more than 460 hectares of forest.

The Xinhua News Agency reports that the fire has crossed three isolation belts and fire fighters are now building a fourth.

Sun Shumin, Political Commissioner of the Armed Police Forest Troops in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan, said the situation was made worse by the fireline not being regular.

"There are many main and branch firelines. The fire is getting worse and worse fed by trees and wind. Now our troops can not really get close to the fire to put it out."

Officials said the fire has been aggravated by a prolonged drought and windy weather.

Locals living at a nearby village have been evacuated from the path of the fire.

The blaze started on March 29 in Anning, about 28 kilometres from Kunming.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and further investigations are underway.