As the Qingming Festival approaches, the burning of incense and sweeping of graves activities have increased among the public. In recent days, mainland China has witnessed two fire incidents caused by improper handling of burning joss paper.
According to a report from the state-run media Chinanews on April 2, a fire broke out at the intersection of Jiachuang Road and Wuming Road in Beijing’s Chaoyang District on the afternoon of March 30. Several parked cars on the roadside were engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing into the air. The fire resulted in the destruction of 7 motor vehicles and damage to 2 others, fortunately without any casualties.
A 44-year-old woman named Zhang became the focus of the firefighting and police investigation.
Zhang confessed that on the afternoon of March 30, she brought four bags of joss paper from home to a vacant lot outside the intersection to burn them as a form of prayer. The area where Zhang burned the paper was less than two meters away from the metal barrier, which had dried weeds growing underneath it. Many cars were parked inside the metal enclosure.
She mentioned that the whole process lasted about 10 minutes. “After burning the paper, I simply used a stick to stir it around a bit before leaving, without burying it with soil or extinguishing it with water, and without ensuring that the ashes were completely cooled.”
After Zhang left, the smoldering embers ignited the nearby weeds and rapidly spread, eventually causing a fire that consumed the cars parked alongside the metal barrier.
Zhang has been placed under criminal detention.
Additionally, a report from Shangguan News stated that on March 28, a fire incident occurred in a residential community on Hejian Road in Yangpu District, Shanghai, triggered by a ritual offering.
Surveillance footage from the community showed a resident, Ms. Zhang, burning joss paper at the entrance of a building before casually dumping the still-burning ashes of the paper money into a roadside trash bin. Shortly after, the combustible materials in the trash bin caught fire, quickly engulfing the area in flames. A Porsche parked nearby was also affected, with the front end being charred by the blaze.
Considering the luxury brand of the vehicle, the estimated repair costs are around 150,000 yuan, for which Ms. Zhang will be liable to pay substantial compensation.