Management personnel of a residential area stand by with fire extinguishers as fireworks go off in Beijing, China on Feb. 7. The tradition of setting off firecrackers and fireworks during the Chinese New Year to ward off evil spirits has been blamed for rising number of fire accidents across the country during the festive season. Firefighters reportedly fought 5,945 fires nationwide during a 32-hour span from the beginning of 02 February, the eve of the new lunar year, according to figures released by the fire control bureau of the Ministry of Public Security on Feb. 6.