The Beijing fire control department has been conducting fire safety checks in high-rise buildings across the city since July, aiming to reduce fire risks and improve the response of firefighting staff this autumn.

"We ask each building property department to clean up any mess in corridors and on roofs, and ensure they have fire control devices," said Li Jin, deputy director of the authority, adding that the checks will continue through October.

Beijing Fire Control, which falls under the city's public security bureau, has also been checking the quality of insulating materials on outside walls, seeking to identify sub-standard materials that may present a fire hazard, he said.

"In addition to checking firefighting equipment, we'll also examine the buildings' fire control departments, ensuring their knowledge of escape routes and how to use extinguishers," he said.

The authority conducts such checks on key buildings every six months, including electricity facilities and railway stations. During holiday periods, it pays more attention to storerooms in supermarkets and other areas where garbage may accumulate, according to Li.

"Putting out fires cannot depend entirely on us. It also requires the coordination of residents' self-rescue teams and other departments," he said.

The authority has fire engines that can reach 101-meter-tall buildings, "but boosting awareness of fire prevention is still the key", said Li.

- Cao Yin