Taitung Forest Park catches fire after county fireworks display; blaze extinguished after 5 hours

A fire erupted in Taitung Forest Park in Taiwan late Tuesday night, shortly after the county government concluded a hot air balloon music festival featuring a fireworks display. The blaze quickly spread through dry grass, fanned by strong winds, and required a significant firefighting effort.

Firefighters were dispatched immediately after the first reports of the fire near the Green Water Bridge in Binbin Park. The fire had two main points of ignition: one near the Green Water Bridge, covering an estimated 6,400 square meters, and another closer to the beach, burning approximately 1,200 square meters. The total area affected by the fire is estimated at 7,600 square meters.

Over 57 firefighters and auxiliary personnel, utilizing 11 fire trucks, worked for more than five hours to bring the fire under control. The operation concluded around 1:11 AM Wednesday. The challenging conditions included nighttime firefighting, a large area of dry grass, and difficult access to some parts of the fire zone. Firefighters employed long water lines and later used shovels to assist in extinguishing the remaining embers.

To aid in the response, the Taitung Fire Department utilized advanced technology, including a SKYDIO X10 drone. This allowed for aerial observation of the fire's extent and hot spots, providing crucial information to ground crews and incident commanders. The successful suppression of the fire, despite the difficult circumstances, demonstrated the effectiveness of combining technological tools with traditional firefighting tactics.