Due to the long 228 four-day weekend, many people decided to tomb sweep earlier. As a result, at least 33 fire accidents occurred in Pingtung within two days since Feb. 25.
Pingtung County police arrived early in the morning on Feb. 27 to inspect and collect evidence. On the 26th, a back office fire worker tragically died on-site while supporting a public cemetery firefighting but was heavily pressed by a fire truck. The Bureau noted it will investigate the reasons the truck rolled down.
Chen Kun-wu, Fourth Corps Chief, Fire Department, Pingtung County: “The brake still works, so maybe the slope is the cause for it to move up and down. It was likely parked at a higher spot and slowly rolling downward.”
Why did a back officer at the fire station need to go support firefighting? The reason was due to the long 228 four-day weekend, many people decided to go home and tomb sweep earlier. Therefore, many fires at public cemeteries occurred when they burned weeds or paper money. At least 33 fire accidents happened in Hengchun's public cemetery in just two days since Feb. 25, almost "burning the firefighters out."
Local Fruit Grower: “Not yesterday but this morning when I looked, the surrounding around my orchard is completely burned.”
Local Fruit Grower: “The one burned now is the lychee garden.”
Orchards were covered with fire. and got worsened by strong winds which spread the thick smoke. According to the statistics, public cemetery fires are increasing everywhere, with 20 fires in Kaohsiung and 27 in Taichung. The Fire Department urges people not to burn weeds while tomb sweeping to avoid causing fires or in turn affecting nearby residences or farms.
屏東縣警方27號一早到消防分隊進行勘驗蒐證，26號一名內勤消防員因支援公墓火警，在現場遭不明原因下滑的消防車重壓、不幸殉職，消防局表示將調查車輛下滑原因。
屏東縣消防局第四大隊長陳昆武說：「剎車還是有作用的，現在就是可能那個坡稍微，那個就是人家的路稍微(有起伏)，就是有點上下，可能剛好稍微停在高的地方，慢慢往下滑。」
內勤消防員為何須支援外勤？原因正是二二八4天連假，有不少民眾提早返鄉掃墓，但掃墓燒雜草或金紙等，也讓公墓火警大增，像恆春這處公墓從25號斷斷續續燒了兩天多，讓消防員疲於奔命。
當地果農表示：「昨天是沒影響，但是早上，我一早去看，我的果園剛好四周都被燒光光。」
當地果農說：「現在燒的應該是荔枝園。」
果園陷入一片火海中，強風更讓濃煙擴散開來，光屏東週末就有33起公墓火警，各地疑似公墓火警的件數也都增加，高雄有20件、台中也有27件，消防局也呼籲民眾別在墓地燒雜草，以免釀成火警、甚至波及其他民宅或農地。