Shanghai revokes licenses of 4 central media outlets for exposing units with serious fire hazards

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Following the centralized exposure by central media in September of units in Shanghai with serious fire hazards, Shanghai attached great importance to the issue and immediately instructed the Huangpu, Jing’an, Fengxian, and Jiading districts to assume their responsibilities at the local level. By employing legal measures such as closure, suspension, merger, and relocation, these districts were urged to take decisive action to eliminate the fire hazards. To date, all 4 units that were exposed have completed the necessary rectifications and the cases have been closed. **Take the lead, combining punishment with promotion. The Jingjiang Market in Jing’an District covers an area of over 10,000 square meters. It houses 57 businesses dealing in building materials, as well as a staff dormitory with 200 beds. Potential fire hazards exist, including the lack of fire water sources and automatic fire alarm systems as required, as well as damaged fire protection equipment. In May, Jing’an District designated it as a unit with major fire hazards that required special attention. An Lusheng, the secretary of the district party committee, and Lu Xiaodong, the district head, led inspections and unannounced visits to this site. Zhao Ruqing, the secretary of the district’s political and legal affairs committee, along with deputy district heads Pan Zihan and Zhou Haiying, held several meetings to advance the efforts to address these issues. The local streets, together with departments such as the Commerce Commission, public security authorities, fire services, urban management agencies, and industry and commerce bureaus, formed a joint task force for rectification. More than 30 meetings were held to advance the work and to provide information to relevant parties; 80 notices regarding the demolition of illegal structures were posted, and over 700 notices on fire safety and those ordering the demolition of illegal buildings were distributed. In total, more than 1,000 square meters of illegal structures within the market were demolished. 57 tenants had their premises sealed off. 20 special security personnel and street workers, along with 2 large vehicles and machinery, were deployed to patrol the market to prevent any resurgence of illegal activities or safety hazards. Departmental coordination for shutdown and transformation. The Hongbao Logistics Park in Jiading District covers an area of 150 mu. It features a logistics information building with a construction area of 56,000 square meters, as well as nearly 300 establishments including hotels, supermarkets, bathhouses, small grocery stores, and recreational venues. The main fire hazards here include the absence of fire protection facilities, inadequate fire separation measures, and the existence of \"three-in-one\" structures that increase fire risks. Ni Yaoming, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Jiading District, has organized several special coordination meetings and led teams on three on-site inspection tours. Departments such as public security, fire protection, market supervision, urban management, and those responsible for demolishing illegal structures worked closely together in joint enforcement actions. As a result, 2 hotels, 30 restaurants, and 40 gaming rooms and internet cafes were sealed up or shut down; 5 business licenses were revoked; over 200 liquefied petroleum gas cylinders were confiscated; 2,000 square meters of buildings made of colored steel plates were demolished; and more than 500 people who were staying in such combined residential and commercial spaces were removed from there. At present, the local authorities **are considering measures such as changing the original land use patterns and business models in order to thoroughly improve the fire safety conditions in that area. Special teams are working on addressing these issues so that the land can be reclaimed for farming. The Bangsheng Timber Yard in Fengxian District covers an area of 137 mu. There are 158 business units operating there, with 452 employees; over 200,000 cubic meters of timber are stored there. Potential fire hazards include illegal construction, insufficient fire protection facilities and equipment, unauthorized residential use in such areas, illegal use of liquefied petroleum gas, improper wiring, and inadequate fire separation distances. Fengxian District established a special rectification task force headed by the main leaders of Fengcheng and Jinhui Towns, with officials from departments such as urban management, environmental protection, work safety supervision, market regulation, and demolition enforcement, as well as leaders from local police stations, serving as team members. The task force held 4 specialized meetings, conducted 5 on-site inspections, and carried out 13 centralized law enforcement operations. Thirty staff members and one fire truck were deployed daily for patrols and monitoring at the site; all workers in the area were removed, and strict measures such as sealing off the entrances and exits of the storage area, cutting off water and electricity supply, were implemented. Once the cleanup was completed, the task force immediately coordinated with local specialized agencies to resume farming on the vacant land for 15 consecutive days, to ensure that any potential risks did not reappear. Handle cases strictly in accordance with the law, and apply systematic governance. The facility at No. 65 Fujia Street, owned by Shanghai People’s Printing Factory No. 8 of the Shanghai Hero Group in Huangpu District, has a construction area of 9,941 square meters. The first floor is used as a market, while floors 2 to 5 are used as shops or warehouses. There are various fire hazards, including illegal occupancy in structures that combine residential, commercial, and industrial functions, the use of flammable materials to build temporary structures, fire protection equipment that does not meet standards, and fire protection equipment that is not kept in good working condition. Huangpu District has designated it as a unit with serious fire hazards and placed it under supervised management. The public security fire department issued notices to all 32 tenants in the building, informing them of the existing hazards and related risks, and urging them to take action to address these issues. Units whose fire hazard situations were particularly severe and whose efforts to rectify the problems progressed slowly were subject to administrative penalties of 80,000 yuan, while illegal businesses were temporarily shut down. At present, all businesses in the building have ceased operations. The relevant responsible parties have allocated funds for renovations, carrying out comprehensive repairs to the building and upgrading its fire safety facilities and equipment in order to eliminate potential hazards at the source.