‘Ghost Month’ accountable for 15 fires in 10 days: CB

Over the first 10 days of the “Ghost Month,” which began on the seventh month of the lunar calendar or Aug. 16, there have been 15 fires, the Fire Services Bureau (CB) has reported.

During this period, Buddhists and Taoists celebrate by orchestrating ghost-feeding ceremonies, which includes folding joss paper ingots and other cultural customs designed to ease the suffering of the dead and prevent mischievous encounters with restless spirits.

The month is dedicated to paying tribute to those who have died, namely the family ancestors.

A big part of the tradition includes the burning of “offerings” to them as well as to the lost souls frequently found on the streets of Macau.

The Municipal Affairs Bureau has installed dedicated containers to burn the offerings but residents of Macau do not generally go to these locations and instead perform their ceremonial activities in the street or even inside apartment buildings’ common areas, which often results in unintended fires.

The peak of the celebrations takes place at the 15th day of the month which, this year, falls on Aug. 30 (Wednesday).

Authorities are calling on citizens to respect the rules to avoid setting fires due to the risk of fire mismanagement.