The public prosecutor indicated that there were more than 30 rented rooms in the yard where Shi Quanbao set fire after drinking alcohol. The rooms were adjacent to each other and the tenants were densely populated. Once a fire started, it would be difficult to put out and could result in multiple casualties and property damage. Therefore, it was considered that public safety had already been endangered, constituting the crime of arson. Given that the fire did not lead to any casualties or severe consequences, the court was advised to sentence him to 3-5 years of fixed-term imprisonment.
This case was not announced in court. According to the prosecution's accusation, at around 1:00 AM on October 9, 2011, Shi Quanbao, after drinking alcohol, intentionally ignited the bedsheet and mattress with a lighter in his rented house to vent his frustration, causing a fire inside the room which destroyed the air conditioner, bed, windows, etc., endangering public safety. Later, the fire was extinguished by the crowd, someone called the police, and the defendant Shi Quanbao was caught on the spot by the patrolling police officer. On October 28 of the same year, Shi Quanbao was arrested on suspicion of arson.
According to Xinhua News Agency (reporter Wang Qiushi), after drinking alcohol, Shi Quanbao got into an argument with his wife due to his bad temper. To vent his anger, he used a lighter to ignite the bungalow he rented, posing a fire threat to more than 30 households living in the same courtyard. Yesterday, Shi Quanbao was tried in the Haidian Court on suspicion of arson.