Firefighters airlifted to central mountains, hike 5 hours to fight forest fire

A team of firefighters was flown to a landing point in a remote area of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range, and faced a further 5-hour hike to reach a fire on Dashuiku Mountain today, May 16. Chiayi Forest Management Office dispatched the team after a fire was reported at around 4:00 am this morning from the Yushan (Mt Jade) Weather Station. As it would normally take three days to hike to the remote location, it was decided to dispatch a helicopter

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Raptor family saved from wildfire thanks to live Internet broadcast

A brood of black kite (Milvus migrans) hatchlings was saved from being burned alive after researchers monitoring the bird family in preparation for a live broadcast to YouTube saw the nest about to be engulfed in flames, Tuesday, March 16. The National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Bird Ecology Lab, with the support of the Forestry Bureau set up camera equipment to monitor the nest on March 12 in preparation for a constant live broadcast for the general public

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Wildfire, rockfalls block highway 18 in Chiayi County

The Chiayi Forest Management Office has advised the public to avoid highway 18 and use the alternative route 21 due to a wildfire and rockfalls that have blocked the road between the 68 and 69 kilometer mark. Firefighters have been fighting a difficult battle with a blaze in steep terrain below the road since yesterday afternoon, March 18. Fire fighting crews were dispatched from several local fire stations at around 2:00 pm yesterday. A National Airborne Service helicopter was also

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