JINAN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters have extinguished a rekindled wildfire near the tourist resort of Mount Tai in east China's Shandong Province, local authorities said Thursday.

No casualties were reported and the tourist resort is safe, said a spokesman with local firefighting headquarters. However, more than 1,000 villagers were forced to evacuate their homes.

The blaze, which broke out Monday morning, had been extinguished by over 17,000 firefighters and local residents the next day, but was rekindled by strong winds just hours later, the spokesman said.

Two helicopters dispatched by the state forest fire prevention headquarters dropped water on the fires to help extinguish them, he said. Wednesday night's rainfall also helped to extinguish the blaze.

Mount Tai, one of China's Five Sacred Mountains, holds great historical and cultural significance. Its peak, referred to as the "Jade Emperor Peak", is located approximately 1,500 meters above sea level.