Forest fire in Yunlin burns 5 hectares of land in 26 hours

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) A forest fire that broke out Monday morning in Yunlin County's Gukeng Township has scorched an estimated five hectares of woodlands in the more than 26 hours it has burned, but it was gradually being brought under control on Tuesday.

The Yunlin County Fire Department said it received a report at around 7 a.m. Monday of a fire in a mountainous forest behind the Shibi Hotel (also known as the Rocky Hotel) in Caoling Village and immediately dispatched crews.

Firefighting efforts were hampered by the lack of nearby water sources and the area's steep, rugged terrain, officials said.

Hotel staff told CNA that the site of the fire is about a 10-minute walk from the hotel and lies within a tract of primary forest.

They suspected the blaze may have been sparked when workers cutting bamboo to harvest the material lit a fire to keep warm in the cold weather, causing embers to spread.

According to the fire department, the blaze was briefly brought under control Monday afternoon, and an application was made to the National Fire Agency for helicopter support.

Aerial operations could not be carried out, however, due to unstable winds and fading daylight, officials said.

According to the fire department, three helicopter sorties were flown Tuesday morning to dump water on the fires, while manpower and resources from the Fenqihu Station under the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's Chiayi branch were also mobilized.

The fire has gradually come under control, authorities said.