国内英语新闻:China's fire situation in combo-holiday "stable"

BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Altogether 2,680 fires had been reported across China during the "Golden Week" holiday that ended on Sunday, a situation described as "stable in general" by the fire-fighting authorities.

Those fires caused some 20 million yuan (3.16 million U.S. dollars) in damages during the eight-day holiday that bridges the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday.

The figures released Sunday by the Fire-fighting Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security also showed that fire departments across the country rescued 2,301 people and retrieved properties worth about 330 million yuan.

The results followed intensified pre-holiday campaigns to examine and reduce fire risks at shopping malls, hotels, entertainment venues, transportation hubs and tourist destinations, as well as media promotion of life-saving tips and fire prevention knowledge.

According to the bureau, more than 31,300 spots with fire risks were rectified during a nationwide safety check that covered some 18,000 venues.

Last year, a total of 1,514 fire accidents and some 12.8 million yuan in direct economic loss were recorded during the week-long National Day holiday, which run from Oct. 1 to 7.