PUBLISHED ONAugust 12, 2026 7:55 AMBYSean LerThis year's Hungry Ghost Festival begins on Aug 13 (Thursday), and many Chinese are expected to make offerings of candles, food, joss sticks and others from Wednesday night onwards.
Over the years, this practice has sometimes caused neighbourly disputes and even resulted in fire.
It has also caused cleanliness and hygiene-related concerns with food offerings attracting animals and pests such as rats.
In an advisory posted on its social media on Wednesday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) urged members of the public to be considerate and to keep shared spaces clean while paying respects.
It also sought the public's cooperation not to toss or scatter joss paper, and to clear offerings after prayers.
"Leaving items behind may constitute littering," it added.
An infographic shared by the agency suggested that those burning offerings can do so based on sincerity, burning smaller amounts of joss paper to reduce smoke and ashes.
The Alliance for Action on Norms for Joss Paper Burning, led by representatives from the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations and included members of leading Buddhist and Taoist organisations, had dispelled the belief that burning or making more offerings is better.
Instead, it said sincerity matters more.
Those making offerings should only do so at designated areas. They should not do so along common corridors, staircases or at lift lobbies.
On July 14, 2025, a fire broke at a Chai Chee HDB block after joss papers were burnt along a 13th-floor corridor near some "miscellaneous items".
Amid drier weather in Singapore, the public should also avoid placing joss sticks or candles on grass.
According to SCDF's annual fire statistics for 2025, there were 528 cases of non-building premises fires out of a total of 2,050 fire calls.
Of these, 109 cases involved vegetation fires.
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