Are You Properly Extinguishing Your Incense and Candles? Habits to Revisit During the Delayed Obon Festival

August 16th is the day of the 'Delayed Obon Okuribi' (send-off fire).

This day, when we light fires to see off our ancestors, is actually a perfect opportunity to revisit the basics of fire safety—properly extinguishing flames—as an extension of our daily lives.

The Okuribi is originally an event held on July 16th, but since the calendar reform in the Meiji era, it has come to be held one month later, on August 16th, in many regions.
We welcome the spirits of our ancestors with the 'Mukae-bi' (welcome fire) on August 13th and send them back to the other world with the 'Okuribi' on the 16th.

While the Gozan no Okuribi in Kyoto and the Daimonji Okuribi on Mt. Kōen in Nara are famous, many households also observe this in more familiar ways, such as burning hemp stalks at the entrance or on the balcony, or lighting candles at the family altar.

On the night of the Okuribi, have you ever had an experience like this?

You lit incense and then got distracted by another household chore.
You thought you had extinguished the candles, but when you checked later, they were still burning.

Such experiences are actually not rare.
In my studies as a fire defense equipment technician, I have come to realize that failing to properly extinguish fires at home does not happen only to particularly careless people.
It is a very common occurrence that can happen to anyone.

That is precisely why this day, when we handle 'special fires just for today' like the Okuribi, is the perfect time to rethink how we interact with fire.

Why is it easy to fail to extinguish fires properly?

The reason is simple: we only handle fires for the Okuribi or Buddhist services a few times a year.

Carelessness that arises because it is an 'unfamiliar task'

With a kitchen stove, you naturally develop the habit of checking whether you have turned it off as you use it every day.
On the other hand, because we are not used to handling incense and candles, it is easy to end up in a state where 'you remember lighting them, but your memory of whether you extinguished them is vague.'

The busy Obon season

In addition, during the Obon season, we tend to feel more flustered than usual due to hosting guests and making preparations.
You think, 'I'll come back and put it out later,' and then you accidentally forget.
This is not a sign of weak willpower, but a natural phenomenon that can happen to anyone when unfamiliar tasks and busyness overlap.

That is why it is important to have a 'system to ensure you don't forget' in place, rather than relying solely on your own awareness.

Three fire-extinguishing habits you can start today

There is nothing difficult about it.
Just being mindful today in front of the Okuribi or the family altar is enough.

1. Do not leave the area while the fire is lit

Do not leave the side of candles or incense while they are lit.
Thinking 'it will only be for a moment' can lead to unexpected accidents.

2. After extinguishing, confirm by pointing and calling

Even if you think you have extinguished them, the embers of incense can surprisingly remain.
Say out loud 'it is extinguished' and point at it to confirm. This extra step will significantly reduce oversights.

3. Do not place flammable items nearby

Do not place paper or cloth around candle holders or incense plates.
Moving them just a little bit can significantly lower the risk.

Another option: Electric Obon lanterns

If you feel a bit uneasy about using fire this year,
there is the option of using electric or battery-powered Obon lanterns.
They allow you to welcome and see off your ancestors with a gentle light instead of an actual flame.

This is more than just an alternative.
Battery-powered lights can also serve as a daily preparation, providing light during power outages.
If you are preparing new items for the Obon season, this can be considered a choice that kills two birds with one stone from a disaster prevention perspective.

Sharing the "fire monitoring" responsibility with the whole family

There is one more habit I would like you to adopt starting today.
That is to share with your family, "Who was the last person to see the fire?"

If you live alone, you only need to be mindful yourself, but when living with family, the assumption that "someone else is watching it" can actually create danger.
In reality, there are many cases where each family member assumes that someone else has already checked, and as a result, no one has performed a final check.

"I've put out the incense," "I've put away the lantern."
Just by exchanging words like these, the chances of missing a check are greatly reduced.
This is a mindset that can be applied to all aspects of life, not just the Okuribi (send-off fire), such as turning off the main gas valve or locking the doors.
Do not leave it entirely to one person; voice it and share it. That alone leads to peace of mind for the entire family.

Summary

• August 16th is the day of the "delayed Obon Okuribi." It is one of the annual events where we light a fire to send off the spirits of our ancestors.

• The Okuribi and the candles/incense at the Buddhist altar are small flames in our daily lives.

• Because it is a fire we handle only a few times a year, it is easy to forget to extinguish it.

• Do not leave the area once you have lit a fire, and confirm it is extinguished by pointing and calling.

• The habit of not placing flammable items nearby reduces the risk of accidents.

• Electric or battery-powered Obon lanterns can also serve as daily preparation, providing light during power outages.

• Sharing "who was the last person to see the fire" with the family reduces the chance of missing a check.

The Okuribi is an important event to quietly see off your ancestors.
The time spent carefully tending to that flame is actually an opportunity to naturally instill the basics of disaster prevention, such as "properly extinguishing fire," into your daily routine.

You don't need to do anything special.
Just start paying a little more attention from the moment you light the fire today. That alone adds one more layer of preparation to your day.