Women's volunteer fire brigade protects Guizhou village

A female voluntary fire brigade trains in Mushan village, Tianzhu county, Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo by Jin Kewen/For chinadaily.com.cn]

"Stretch the fire hose!" cried Liu Qiuling, leader of the eight female firefighters carrying out drills in Tianzhu county, Southwest China's Guizhou province.

These female squads wearing fire suits, protective helmets and boots, vary from images of ordinary rural women.

"In March, I organized this female fire brigade to react immediately to a fire alarm in our village," said Liu Qiuling, Party secretary of Mushan village in Tianzhu.