Air quality sensor investigated as possible cause of Yangmingshan fire

Taipei, April 14 (CNA) A government research institute has begun investigating whether the fire that broke out Monday on Taipei's Yangmingshan was caused by one of its solar-powered air quality sensors, officials said.

In a statement issued Monday evening, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said he "deeply regrets" the damage caused by the fire and that the NSTC would cooperate with investigators to determine what caused it.

The NSTC has also opened an internal investigation into the matter, and has asked all agencies under its jurisdiction to inspect their research equipment to prevent such incidents in the future, Wu said.

Wu's comments came after Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters said that the blaze may have been sparked by a state-run air quality sensor.

The fire, which broke out around 11:16 a.m. Monday near the mountainous Xiaoyoukeng Recreation Area, raged for about five hours and burned some 32 hectares before it was extinguished at 4:32 p.m. No deaths or injuries were reported.

The National Institutes for Applied Research (NIAR), an agency under the NSTC, later confirmed that its National Center for High-Performance Computing operated a sensor in the area as part of a project to monitor gas eruptions and air quality around the Tatun Volcano Group.

The monitoring device was solar powered and was installed by a contractor in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, the NIAR said, adding that the fire's cause would need to be determined by a formal fire investigation.

Meanwhile, due to fire damage, the hiking trail from the Xiaoyoukeng Trail Entrance to Qixing Mountain's main peak will remain closed pending safety inspections, the Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters said.