Taipei's Zhinan Temple Hall Gutted by Fire; Agency Urges Safety Measures

A fire ravaged the Lingxiao Baodian hall at Taipei's Zhinan Temple late last night, reducing the wooden structure to ruins. Firefighters arrived to find the first and second floors fully engulfed, with the blaze spreading rapidly due to the building's construction. After a prolonged battle, the fire was extinguished early this morning, though crews remained to cool the site. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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The number of incense sticks inserted into the incense burner should not be too many, so as to avoid heat accumulation and spontaneous combustion (furnace ignition).

The incident has prompted the Fire Agency to issue five key preventative measures for temples. These include limiting the number of incense sticks in burners to prevent heat buildup, ensuring no flammable materials are placed near incense burners, and avoiding casual disposal of ash. Additionally, temples are advised against storing large quantities of flammable items and to immediately report any unusual smoke or flames to the fire department.

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Do not place flammable or dangerous items around the ceramic or metal incense burner used for burning incense and incense sticks.

Historically, many temple fires have been attributed to unattended incense or burning paper offerings igniting surrounding flammable materials. The Fire Agency highlighted past incidents in various temples across Taiwan, underscoring the significant cultural loss that can occur, especially with historic structures. The recommendations aim to mitigate risks associated with traditional temple practices and materials, which often include wood and paper offerings, alongside the use of incense and lamps.

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Do not discard residual incense ash into trash cans or casually discard it, to avoid igniting residual ash.