Electrical faults account for the highest proportion of fires

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Electrical faults are the most common cause of fires. During winter and spring, due to the cold and dry weather, there is an increased use of fire, electricity, and gas, which makes it easier for materials to catch fire, thus increasing the risk of fires. There are also many major festivals during this period, people are busy with their work, and goods are concentrated in certain areas; as a result, a fire can easily lead to serious disasters and casualties. How can we do a good job in preventing and controlling fires during winter and spring, so that the public can spend these seasons safely? On November 1st, a reporter conducted an exclusive interview with Yu Jianhua, director of the Fire Protection Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. 　　Reporter: Why is winter and spring considered a period with a high incidence of fires? Yu Jianhua: Recently, we conducted statistics on the overall situation of fires during winter and spring over the past decade across the country, and found that the total number of fires during these two seasons is much higher than that in summer and autumn. A total of 1.32 million fires occurred during winter and spring, which is 36.6% more than the number of fires in summer and autumn. On a daily average basis, during winter and spring, there are 758 fires per day, resulting in around 6 deaths and losses of 9.44 million yuan; compared to summer and autumn, there are 37% more fires per day, 84% more deaths, and 29% higher losses. Compared to summer and autumn, the number of large fires in winter and spring remains roughly the same, but the proportion of major fires is higher. In the past decade, 25 major fires occurred during winter and spring, accounting for 62.5% of the total; statistics from the past five years show that this figure rises to 75%. 　　Reporter: Which types of fires are prone to occur frequently during winter and spring? Yu Jianhua: Residential fires result in the highest number of deaths; over the past decade, 6,510 people have died in residential fires, accounting for 76.1% of all fire-related deaths. Fires occur most frequently in crowded places; of the 25 major fires, 18 took place in such locations, accounting for 72% of all major fires. Electrical faults are the most common cause of fires; nearly 30% of fires are triggered by problems with electrical equipment, short circuits in electrical wiring, or careless use of heating appliances. In particular, 57% of the severe and major fires are caused by electrical issues. 　　Reporter: What is the overall strategy for preventing and controlling fires this winter and next spring? Yu Jianhua: Based on the patterns and characteristics of fires analyzed earlier, we have developed a plan for preventing and controlling fires during this winter and next spring. The overall approach is to focus on preventing large-scale fires by targeting their root causes, while also taking measures to control smaller fires by strengthening the foundational safeguards. From November 1st until it ends nationwide next year, the process is roughly divided into three phases: deployment and initiation, organization and implementation, and summary and evaluation. By combining national mandated actions with local initiatives, efforts are made to strengthen fire prevention and control across the country, ensuring stability in the fire situation nationwide. 　　Reporter: How can we mobilize all parties to participate in the prevention and control of fires during winter and spring? Yu Jianhua: Three meetings need to be held by November 15th. Comprehensive arrangements are necessary to mobilize all parties in order to carry out effective fire prevention and control efforts during winter and spring. 　　First, it is proposed to **hold a meeting**, with the relevant leader taking personal charge of making arrangements and clarifying the responsibilities and tasks for various levels and industries. 　　Second, it promotes industry departments to hold meetings, issue requirements to entities within the industry sector, organize self-inspections and self-corrections, and standardize fire safety management. 　　Third, the public security authorities should hold special meetings on fire prevention and control during winter and spring, organizing fire departments, police stations, and relevant law enforcement units to work together in order to ensure the implementation of various measures for preventing fires during these periods. 　　Reporter: How can we aim for the core to prevent large-scale fires? Yu Jianhua: By summarizing the experiences and lessons gained over the years in preventing large fires, I believe that high-risk areas are the core targets. By analyzing the major fire accidents that have occurred over the past decade, we find that it is essential to pay close attention to six types of high-risk locations: places with dense populations, areas prone to fires and explosions, buildings that combine multiple functions in one structure, shared rental housing, old residential buildings, and villages inhabited by ethnic minorities. In addition, historical and cultural sites also need to be taken into account, as once a fire breaks out in such sites, they cannot be restored, resulting in significant losses and substantial social impacts. 　　To prevent large-scale fires, it is essential to focus on three key aspects: first, to thoroughly understand the current situation. Identify the local problems and areas prone to large fires thoroughly, truly uncover these \"landmines\", and establish records for each one. Second, it is necessary to progressively strengthen regulatory responsibilities at each level. Once high-risk areas are identified, it is necessary to clearly define the supervision responsibilities for each one and implement grid-based management. Third, implement civil air defense and technical prevention measures one by one. In high-risk locations, fire safety responsibilities and managers must be designated; larger facilities should have full-time fire management personnel who must undergo training before taking up their duties. High-risk facilities should employ advanced technologies such as remote monitoring and smart power management for fire control, while “three-in-one” establishments and old residential buildings should be equipped with emergency broadcasting systems, independent alarm devices, and simple sprinkler systems. 　　At the same time, we will leverage the comprehensive management platform to implement a grid-based fire safety management system, thereby creating a management framework with a well-structured organization, clear responsibilities, integrated resources, and effective inspection processes, to ensure that fire safety efforts at the most basic and remote levels are properly supervised and managed. Continue to advance the comprehensive management of fires in high-rise buildings and electrical systems; create lists of the existing problems, classify them by level of risk and report them to **, develop plans tailored to each category, clarify the responsibilities for making corrections, and carry out focused efforts to address these issues. Further intensify law enforcement efforts, maintain a \"zero-tolerance\" policy toward fire hazards, withstand pressure and uphold integrity, and never stop until such hazards are eliminated. 　　Reporter: How can we lay a solid foundation to control small fires? Yu Jianhua: Only by controlling small fires can we prevent larger ones from breaking out. 　　First, it is necessary to strengthen and solidify the smallest fire-fighting units. Efforts are made to achieve the goal of “saving early and saving those with mild conditions” from three main aspects. First, persist in advancing the construction of mini fire stations. Second, vigorously promote the construction of small fire stations. Third, comprehensively advance the construction of mobile fire stations. At the same time, we will implement unified command and control over micro fire stations, small fire stations, and mobile fire stations, in order to establish a three-dimensional, fully comprehensive fire fighting network. Once a call is received, resources will be dispatched simultaneously to allow for rapid arrival at the scene for initial response actions. 　　Second, it is necessary to comprehensively advance the development of \"smart fire protection\". We will seize the significant opportunities presented by the development of \"smart cities\", proactively report to the local authorities, achieve deep integration and effective coordination, make comprehensive use of emerging information technologies such as big data, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and mobile internet, and advance the development of \"smart fire protection\" simultaneously. 　　Third, thorough preparations must be made for fire fighting and rescue operations during winter and spring. We will base our efforts on the patterns and characteristics of fires during winter and spring, and organize training activities for officers and soldiers during this period. In the event of a fire, it is necessary to adopt a forceful approach, deploying superior resources as soon as possible to extinguish the fire at an early stage and while it is still small. 　　Reporter: We usually say that in fire protection work, publicity accounts for half of it. What specific measures are being taken by the fire department to promote fire safety during winter and spring? Yu Jianhua: Under the theme of \"Pay Attention to Fire Safety for Everyone’s Safety,\" we will organize various activities during the \"119\" Fire Safety Month in a thorough manner, thereby creating a strong atmosphere of awareness. Strengthen ties with the media, and coordinate with mainstream media outlets and websites to cover fire safety developments and carry out related promotional campaigns. Urge local authorities to produce wall charts based on local winter and spring fire incidents and post them widely to warn residents through examples of fires that have occurred in their vicinity. The organization conducts fire safety training for industry sectors, key personnel, and managers in order to cultivate individuals who are knowledgeable about fire safety. During important festivals such as Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Spring Festival, safety tips related to fire prevention during these holidays are issued frequently, with extensive publicity provided on the proper ways to set off fireworks and firecrackers safely. 　　Reporter: How can we ensure that fire prevention and control measures for winter and spring are effectively implemented? Yu Jianhua: **** stated in the *report that tasks need to be carried out one after another, year after year. Fire prevention and control in winter and spring require a long duration, cover a wide range of periods, and involve heavy responsibilities; there are numerous tasks to handle. We must tackle each task one by one, carry out actions step by step, and advance the work in an orderly manner in accordance with the planned arrangements. Fire departments across the country should act as competent advisors, playing a proactive role; by relying closely on relevant parties, they should mobilize all available resources to carry out their tasks. They should urge industry authorities to establish standards and implement proper management practices, and organize inspections and rectifications on a sector-by-sector and system-by-system basis in order to reduce fire risks. Leaders of fire departments at all levels must personally take charge of making arrangements, conducting inspections, and providing supervision, so as to truly fulfill their responsibilities and ensure that all fire prevention measures are put into practice