A forest fire on Sunday broke out in the mountainous area of Lishan (梨山) in Taichung, destroying three hectares of forest, the Dongshih Forest District Office said.
While the fire was contained at 4pm yesterday, it was still being put out as of press time last night, the office said.
The office said that after its Lishan work station received a report of the fire at 8am, 12 firefighters were sent to the affected Chiayang (佳陽) forest area and a request was made for aerial support.
Photo courtesy of Dongshih Forest District Office
The firefighters on the ground battled because the steep cliffs in the area limited access to water supplies, the office said.
Two Black Hawk firefighting helicopters from the National Airborne Service Corps made 25 trips, bringing a total of 50 tonnes of water from the Techi Reservoir to the fire, the office said.
Taichung firefighter Tsai Shih-fang (蔡石芳), who was on the scene, said his team was trying to draw water from a river and from fruit farmers’ irrigation systems.
The fire was raging 1,600m above sea level, in an area that is home to Aborigines and several animal species, including the Formosan Reeve’s muntjac.
No injuries had been reported.
From October to April, the area is vulnerable to wildfires, due strong winds and dry weather, the office said.
In 2018 and last year, 25 fires broke out in areas under its jurisdiction, the office said, adding that it usually takes about two to three days to put them out.
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