Yunlin: A forest fire was extinguished early Friday morning after burning about one hectare of bamboo forest in the Shibi area of Yunlin County's Gukeng Township overnight, marking the second such fire in the region this month.

According to Focus Taiwan, officials with the county's Fire Department reported that they received a call at around 6 p.m. on Thursday regarding a forest fire in Shibi Valley, located behind the Jiuxiong Sacred Tree in the township's Caoling Village. Over 30 individuals, including villagers, firefighters, and volunteer firefighters, participated in the firefighting efforts, successfully bringing the blaze under control by 4 a.m. on Friday. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Following the initial extinguishing of the fire, infrared thermal imaging picked up residual surface heat, leading firefighters to continue spraying water at the site as a precautionary measure. The recent incident occurred approximately 10 kilometers away from another bamboo forest that experienced a fire on January 12, which burned around eight hectares over four days.

While the two fires took place in different mountain areas, local residents suspect both may have been triggered by human activity. Caoling Village chief Chen Ping-tung noted that the winter bamboo shoot harvest season is currently underway, attracting farmers and illegal foragers to the mountains in search of the local delicacy. These individuals often light fires to keep warm in the cold conditions, potentially leaving embers that could spark such fires.