Owing to the cold and dry weather recently, the number of fires reported in Shanghai is on the rise, mostly resulting from errant use of gas and faulty electrical appliances, the city's Public Security Bureau said yesterday.

During the first 10 days of this month, local firemen received 511 emergency calls, up 9.4 percent from the last 10 days of December, authorities said. There were 74 fire reports in the city on Thursday alone, leaving two elderly people in Xuhui District dead, according to the Wenhui Daily. But another two elderly women were lucky enough to escape a similar tragedy that occurred around midnight yesterday.

A fireman from the Zhabei Fire Control Brigade said the pair were trapped in a burning house located on Zhonghuaxin Road when firemen arrived on the scene. "They were rescued unharmed but three residences were destroyed during the blaze," he said.

About 10 hours later police were alerted that a warehouse on Yangtai Road, Baoshan District, was on fire.

Authorities did not reveal what caused the blaze, but said the warehouse was stocked with a large number of paper products. The flames were put out at about 11:30 AM and firemen said there were no casualties.

Local firemen have began teaching some survival skills to city residents.

Firstly, residents should have a clear picture of the location of fire escapes or other safety exits inside their building.