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Beijing Seniors Form Volunteer Fire-prevention Squad
Some 4,000 senior citizens in a western suburb of the Chinese capital gathered Saturday to form a volunteer squad of fire-spotters to curb the all-too-frequent blazes that break out there.
According to the fire department nearby Yanhua Village, fires have been on the rise since 1995; two fires have been reported in the area this year.
And most of the fires were first sighted by retired people who were at home.
The elderly volunteers will be on the alert for fires and help spread general fire-prevention knowledge in their community.
Statistics for 1999 show that 673 people died in house fires and property damage worth 110 million yuan (US$ 13 million) was reported.
Fire departments attribute the frequent accidents to a lack of fire-prevention awareness.
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