 Due to an organizational error (it was claimed), the fire was begun without any warning to the residents of the city.After escaping from Changsha, Zhou took refuge in a Buddhist temple in a nearby village and organized the evacuation of the city.Zhou demanded that the causes of the fire be thoroughly investigated by authorities, that those responsible be punished, that reparations be given to the victims, that the city be thoroughly cleaned up, and that accommodations be provided for the homeless.