Fire authority warns of increase in fires during colder months (2)

The bureau dispatched fire inspectors to more than 189,000 locations in the city this year, including subway stations, factories and office towers. The inspectors temporarily suspended operations or shut down more than 3,000 sites where fires are prone to occur.

In total, 25 people were killed and 39 injured in this year's fires, officials said Wednesday.

The majority of the causalities occurred in small fires at sites smaller than 10 square meters. "The causalities are usually elderly residents who had been using their electric appliances improperly. They are usually asphyxiated by the smoke while still asleep," Zhou said.

The bureau will hold open houses at city fire stations Sunday for Fire Prevention Week, which starts Friday, according to a report on the news website Eastday.com.