[Epidemiological analysis of the fires happened in China from 1950 to 1994].
OBJECTIVE
Approaching the harmful factors and the preventive steps of fires for controlling and preventing fires from harming people.


METHODS
Descriptive analysis was used to review 2,905,504 fires-cases in China from 1950 to 1994.


RESULTS
On average, there were 3,432 people died and 6,726 injured in 64,567 fires per year. From the middle of 70's, the means of injured and death rates decreased slightly, but have gone up a little after 80's. The economical loss has risen greatly year after year, reaching the maximum of 1.3 billion Yuan (RMB) in 1994. The loss of a fire case in 1994 was more than twice than that in 1990. 89.4% fires were caused by man's faults. The fire cases in Sichuan, Yunnan, Jiangshu, Zhejiang and Guangdong Provinces were more serious than the average, of which Guangdong was the worst. Data from 17 departments showed that, the fire frequency in residential quarters of cities and countryside were highest (24%), and the number of injury and death accounted for 28.4%. The fire happens frequently in winter, and least in summer.


CONCLUSIONS
The problem caused by accounted fire has not been controlled effectively.
Wu
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Preventive Medicine Department of Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou.
Wang
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S
D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005390:Fires / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans