Fires reported in 2000 topped the 60,000 mark for the first time in three years, with arson accounting for one in eight cases, according to a government report released Tuesday.
The home affairs ministry's white paper on firefighting said there were 62,454 fires in 2000, about 4,000 more than in the previous year.
The report puts the number of arson cases at 7,817 and the number of deaths resulting from fires at 2,034, 88 fewer than in 1999.
The government said arson was the most frequent cause of fires for the fourth straight year, accounting for about 22 percent of the blazes reported last year when combined with suspected cases.
For accidental residential fires involving death, blazes caused by cigarettes topped the list at 20 percent. Other prominent causes cited include kerosene heaters, stoves, matches and lighters.