Police conclude man culpable for forest fire for burning discarded formworks 追查高雄內門林班地大火 焚燒廢模板肇禍

A forest fire occurred in April and burned for more than a day on state-owned land in Kaohsiung. Police determined that the culprit was a contractor surnamed Li who drove a pickup truck filled with discarded wooden formworks and burned them to vacant land. However, three hectares of state-owned woodland were destroyed by this fire.

Security camera footage shows a pickup truck driven by a man surnamed Li, who is suspected of starting a forest fire on state-owned land in Kaohsiung's Neimen District in April. The back is filled with discarded wooden formworks. They were supposed to be transported to a factory for processing legally. However, Li brought them to vacant land in Neimen District next to state-owned woodland and burned them. 

Li left the scene before the fire burned out. Winds then scattered the embers towards the woodland, and a fire erupted. Three hectares of state-owned woodland were destroyed. The fire burned for more than a day, and helicopters had to be sent out to help extinguish the fire.

Chen Yuan-fa, Deputy Captain, 8th Division, 7th Special Police Corps:” He transported discarded formworks to the scene of the crime and burned them. He didn't wait until the flames stopped burning before leaving. The flames continued burning, and a forest fire occurred.” 

The police say this was not the first time that Li had used this method to get rid of discarded objects. He will be investigated for violating the Forestry Act and public endangerment. The Forestry Bureau's Pingtung Forest District Office says bamboo is currently growing in the woodland that suffered the fire due to the rainy season. Reforestation of one hectare is also underway, and the current situation is satisfactory.

Voice of Lin Hung-chi, Director, Qishan Station, Pingtung Forest District Office:” About one hectare of the woodland that was destroyed has been reforested. Regarding the bamboo, the dead leaves ignite easily so right now we're working towards establishing fire belts to reduce the possibility of fires.” 

The Forestry Bureau urges the public to be careful even when lighting fires in unregulated forests, and to make sure all the embers are extinguished before leaving. Arson is punishable by up to 10 years. Indirectly starting a fire is punishable by up to two years, which can be combined with a fine of NT$300,000. Those who start fires will also be required to compensate the value of the destroyed trees and incurred firefighting expenses.

監視器拍到，李姓主嫌開的小貨車，後車斗滿載廢棄的木製模板，本該運到合法處理廠，卻被他載往高雄內門區溝坪段國有林地旁的空地焚燒，嫌犯沒等到火熄就離開，風將餘燼吹往國有林地，引發森林大火，燒毀3公頃國有林地，火勢延燒超過1天，還出動直升機滅火。

保七總隊第八大隊副大隊長 陳元發：「載運廢棄板模至案發地焚燒，因未等火苗熄滅即先行離去，導致火苗延燒造成森林火警。」

警方表示，嫌犯已經不是第一次用這種方式處理廢棄物，將依違反森林法及公共危險罪移送法辦，林務局屏東林管處表示，遭焚燒的國有林地，因近期雨季長出不少竹子，也有前往造林約1公頃，目前復育狀況尚可。

農委會林務局屏東林管處旗山工作站主任 林弘基：「（燒毀的區域）造林差不多1公頃，竹子的部份，有落葉容易著火，所以我們現在就是，盡量建置防火林帶那個概念，來改善減少火災的發生。」

林務局呼籲民眾，就算在非管制山林用火還是要小心，一定要確認餘燼都熄滅才能離開，若是蓄意縱火恐將面臨最高10年有期徒刑，若是間接引發火勢，也可能最高面臨2年以上有期徒刑，或併科罰金30萬元，另外還得被求償，燒毀的林木價值及滅火時所支出的一切費用。