In recent years, due to global warming and extreme climate, heat waves are raging around the world, and severe wildfire disasters are frequently reported in California (U.S.) and all over Europe. Taiwan is located in the monsoon climate zone, which is subject to a succession of prevailing monsoons and topographic barriers. This makes dry season in Central and Southern Taiwan run from October to April of the following year, before the onset of the rainy season; unfortunately, dry season is also a period of frequent forest fires. In response, the Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture, will be using the disaster warning cell broadcast system to remind people to be vigilant against fires. The Forestry Bureau pointed out that from 2017 to 2021, an average of 58.4 forest fires occurred in Taiwan each year, with an average damaged forest area of about 40.14 hectares, resulting in exhaustion of disaster relief personnel and loss of forest resources. It was determined that 97% of forest fires in the past years were caused by human factors. To proactively remind people entering high-risk areas to be aware of disaster prevention, the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture is using a disaster warning cell broadcast mechanism to issue forest fire alerts to local residents’ cell phones when the forest floor is extremely dry due to high temperatures and drought in specific areas, reminding people to use fire carefully and avoid any fire-igniting behavior. The public are requested to “not” burn weeds, “not” throw cigarette butts, and “not” burn garbage to prevent forest fires. The Forestry Bureau would like to remind the public that according to Article 34 of the Forestry Act no fires are allowed in the forest area or forest protected areas unless permission is obtained. Violation of the regulations is punishable by a fine of up to NT$600,000; those who set fire to other people’s forests may be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than 3 years and not more than 10 years, and are liable for civil damages. In addition, to encourage the public to prevent forest fires, if the perpetrator is confirmed to have set a fire in a national or public forest, a reward of up to NT$100,000 per case will be given to the whistleblower, or up to NT$1,000,000 if the case is serious, and a reward of up to NT$5,000 or a certificate will be given to the first person to report a forest fire. If members of the public discover a forest fire, they should immediately call the toll-free hotline: 0800-000930, 0800-057930 (Forestry Bureau’s Forest Protection), or dial 119 to notify the firefighting center. Let’s prevent forest fires and guard Taiwan’s precious forest resources together.
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