A fire at Yushan National Park, allegedly caused by a government official, shows again how consequential indifference to safety among hikers can be.
Since Sunday last week, when the blaze began — reportedly because of a group of five hikers — nearly 65 hectares of forest at an altitude of more than 3,000m has been destroyed.
After National Communications Commission senior specialist Joseph Chiao (喬建中) wrote about the incident on Facebook, the commission apologized and transferred Chiao to another position at the commission.
Chiao wrote that he was preparing breakfast at a campground at about 2am on Sunday last week when he knocked over a “campfire” — later edited to say “gas stove.” He called firefighters at about 4am after trying but failing to extinguish the blaze.
He is also reported to have said that he hoped rain would come to quench the fire.
Some have questioned his story, saying that if he knocked over a stove, the flames could have easily been stamped out. Some said that Chiao probably started a campfire, as the initial post said, because he had also written about using a campfire to cook steak and Din Tai Fung dumplings.
Chiao, who has legal training, appears to have contravened the law by cooking where it is forbidden.
The National Airborne Services Corps has estimated that the mobilization of helicopters to fight the blaze will cost at least NT$20 million (US$715,820). The Forestry Bureau said it would seek compensation for the many pines, firs and other endemic trees that have been reduced to ashes.
However, no one can calculate the exact cost of the tonnes of water poured onto the fire at a time when the nation is desperate for rain, chipmakers are vying for water resources, farmers have suspended irrigation and residents in some regions are trying to cope with water rationing.
An investigation is needed to determine whether Chiao lied about the incident, what measures he took to guard against danger, if he reported the fire as quickly as he could and what his companions were doing.
The incident has exposed how insufficient hiking education is in a country known for its mountain scenery.
Since the government in 2019 opened up many mountain areas to the public, hiking has become a fad, but not every visitor knows, or is properly informed, about how to avoid danger and respect nature. Some hikers merely “use” the mountains as a backdrop for photographs to post to social media, without stopping to explore the features or history of the areas they visit.
Last year, accidents reported in mountain areas reached an 18-year high, with Yushan (玉山) and independent groups reporting the most, Ministry of the Interior data showed.
While most of the incidents resulted from unfamiliarity with the environment, Chiao’s case shows that overconfidence can also be problematic.
Experienced hikers know that mountains have a temper that can be dangerous and alluring. In the face of their power, people should be humble and respect nature. Many hikers also advocate the “leave no trace” concept, requiring visitors to take away everything — including their feces — that they carry into nature.
The traces left by Chiao’s group will never be extinguished, even once the fire is put out. There is no telling how long it will take for the area to recover. At the very least, the disaster is a warning to other complacent hikers.
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