A fire stimulator doesn't take wood as input or generate heat as output, so a fire simulator is a mere simulation.
But in the Chinese Room the inputs and outputs (symbol strings) are the same as those used by a real Chinese speaker. Therefore, the Chinese Room is more than a mere simulation of Chinese speaking.
Note: also, see the
"If a simulated intelligence passes, is it intelligent?" arguments on Map 2.
Laurence Carlton, 1984.