The Ministry of Public Security has ordered fire departments across China to conduct intensive firefighting drills in densely populated places in the wake of the country's worst fire since 2009.

A fire broke out at the Huichu Street Shopping Mall in Jilin City of northeast China's Jilin Province on Friday, November 5.

The directive came ahead of the Fire Prevention Day, which falls on Nov 9, just days after a massive blaze ripped through a shopping mall in Northeast China's Jilin city in Jilin province, claiming 19 lives and injuring 27 others before some 360 firefighters put it out 12 hours later.

The fire bureau under the Ministry of Public Security has asked local authorities to make the Fire Prevention Day the "theme for the week or even the month".

It has asked fire departments to conduct large-scale drills in densely populated places, especially schools, shopping malls and residential communities.

Friday's blaze has also prompted a nationwide campaign to stamp out threats of fire in this dry and windy winter season.

The Ministry of Public Security issued a circular over the weekend, ordering fire departments across the country to learn from the accident, stay on high alert, and review prevention measures to guard against similar accidents.

"As the country's northern region enters the winter season and temperatures in the southern region start to drop, fire threats have increased greatly," the circular said, adding there have already been a string of fires that have caused heavy casualties since October.

The circular said the Jilin mall fire was the worst - with regard to the number of casualties - the country has witnessed since 2009 and a team of investigators, led by ministry officials, has been dispatched to the city.

According to the Jilin government, the fire mainly raged on the fourth floor of the five-story shopping mall, which houses a number of furniture stores.

The lower floors of the Hunchun street mall, which was built in 1987, were occupied by garment and shoe stores. By the time the fire broke out, 64 shops were open.

According to an initial investigation, the fire originated on the mall's first floor, where home appliances and cosmetic products were sold, but soon spread to the fifth floor, the government said.

The specific cause of the fire is still under investigation, local authorities said.

Police have detained the general manager of the mall for questioning.

Businesses started to reopen in the shopping area on Saturday night, while insurance company workers and store owners were still assessing the losses.

It is not the first time that Jilin has been hit by a big fire, and local people have started questioning authorities for the reason of frequent similar incidents.

On Feb 15, 2004, a fire broke out at a local shopping mall called Zhongbai, killing 53 and injuring 70. Investigations revealed a cigarette butt started the blaze.

On Nov 13, 2005, a fire at a chemical factory owned by China National Petroleum Corporation killed eight people.

On Dec 28, 2009, and Jan 19, 2010, two fires broke out in two chemical factories in the city's Longtan district. However, there were no human casualties.

"It seems Jilin city only makes headlines for its fires. I wish those who lost their lives rest in peace," said Cheng Cheng, a Jilin resident whose home is a stone's throw from the Hunchun road mall.

According to the latest figures, 729 people were killed in more than 89,049 fires that broke out across China in the first eight months of this year. In 2009, at least 945 people were killed in fires nationwide.