In Taipei, 32 of the 135 electrical fires that occurred over the past three years were caused by ceramic stovetops, the Taipei Fire Department said as it urged the public to keep their stoves clean and avoid accidentally turning them on.
Stoves and electricity were the top two causes of fires from July to September, the department told reporters last week.
Over the past three years, ceramic stovetops and countertop ovens were the top culprits, causing 35 and 21 fires respectively, the department said.
Although ceramic stovetops allow people living in small apartments to cook at home, they come with hidden dangers, it said.
The appliances, which use infrared light to conduct heat, are often designed to allow for them to be embedded in kitchen counters, and many people accidentally turn them on while putting something on the counter, the department said.
The department found that the surface of a ceramic stovetop can reach 400oC or hotter, enough to set fire to cardboard or fabric, it said.
To reduce the risk of accidental activation, the department called on people to keep their children and pets away from the stoves, avoid putting things on top of them and keep the surface clean.
As for countertop ovens, the biggest danger comes from improper use, especially for those with quartz heating elements, it said.
For example, in a case that injured one Taipei resident last year, a loaf of bread that was too large for the oven was set on fire as it came into contact with a quartz heating tube, the department said.
When using ovens, people should make sure that there is enough space between the food and the heating elements and the exhaust fan, it said.
People should also keep the oven’s vents clear and clean, and avoid heating food for too long, or else it might become a fire hazard, the department added.
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
CPBL players, cheerleaders and officials pose at a news conference in Taipei yesterday announcing the upcoming All-Star Game. This year’s CPBL All-Star Weekend is to be held at the Taipei Dome on July 19 and 20.
The Taiwan High Court yesterday upheld a lower court’s decision that ruled in favor of former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) regarding the legitimacy of her doctoral degree. The issue surrounding Tsai’s academic credentials was raised by former political talk show host Dennis Peng (彭文正) in a Facebook post in June 2019, when Tsai was seeking re-election. Peng has repeatedly accused Tsai of never completing her doctoral dissertation to get a doctoral degree in law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 1984. He subsequently filed a declaratory action charging that
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a