Premier Li Keqiang urged enhanced capabilities in fire prevention and control during the autumn and winter seasons to avoid major forest and grassland fires.

Premier Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a written instruction on the country's forest and grassland fire prevention and control work.

Related departments should strictly fulfill their responsibilities, build a coordinated mechanism and optimize resources in fire prevention and control work, said the instruction.

Science and technology should be applied in fire prevention, and construction on related infrastructure facilities accelerated, while risks and hidden danger should also be checked and removed in a timely manner, according to the instruction.

He demanded increased efforts in grassroots supervision and public awareness education, as well as severe punishment for illegal fire burning.

Establishment of professional teams, improvement of emergency response plan, and daily practices should also be reinforced, so as to enhance capabilities in such fields, it said.

State Councilor Wang Yong attended a national teleconference on forest and grassland fire prevention and control on Sept 18, and delivered a speech.

Wang, also head of the national headquarters of forest and grassland fire prevention and control, called for work to thoroughly check and defuse hidden risks and prevent major forest and grassland fires, to create a safe and stable environment for building a moderately prosperous society and winning the battle against poverty.

He said with the arrival of autumn and winter, fire prevention and control becomes tougher, which requires relevant authorities to strengthen preparations.

Efforts should be made to strengthen fire prevention and control in holidays such as Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day and other travel peaks, including focusing on key groups and areas, intensifying management of fire sources and improving emergency response plans, to find and handle early fires in a timely manner, Wang said.

Capabilities of extinguishing fires scientifically while ensuring firemen’s safety should also be improved, he said.