BEIJING, May 15 -- China's Ministry of Public Security said it would launch a four-month campaign to help reduce fires nationwide.

According to vice public security minister Li Wei, the campaign, which runs from May 20 to September 20, would specifically target crowded public venues, work places which store inflammable and explosive materials as well as cultural and historic architectures.

Public security authorities will conduct safety checks and identify fire risks, improve training for fire fighters and fire-fighting equipment, and raise public awareness on removing fire hazards, in order to prevent major fire accidents in the peak summer season, he said.

Latest data showed more than 800 people were killed in some 143,000 fire accidents in the first four months this year nationwide. Economic losses amounted to some 1.5 billion yuan (about 242 million U.S. dollars).