Flame engulfs mountain forests in Caopu township of Anning, a county-level city on the outskirts of Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, March 19, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]

A fire that engulfed mountain forests in Yemin county of Yunnan province Sunday has spread to the provincial capital Kunming, local authorities said Monday.

The fire started at 5:25 pm Sunday, spreading quickly despite overnight firefighting efforts.

High wind and dry conditions allowed the fire to spread to Caopu township in Anning, a county-level city on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Kunming.

By 8:30 am, the fire had raged to Caopu township in Anning, a county-level city on the outskirts of Kunming, he said.

The fire was still spreading through the mountainous forests of Yimen county as of 4:30 pm Monday, said a spokesman with the provincial forest fire prevention headquarters.

Authorities in Kunming had sent more than 530 firefighters to the site Monday, but little progress had been made due to high winds and the woods being tinder dry, the official said.

A helicopter from the nearby city of Dali, as well as an additional 500 firefighters, have been mobilized to the site of the blaze, bringing the total number of firefighters on the ground to more than 1,000.

A severe drought has lingered in the heavily-forested province for three consecutive years, causing water shortages for several million residents and posing fire risks.

Yunnan is China's second most heavily-forested province, with a total forest coverage of 47 percent.