Agency warns that high-risk forest fire season has startedWARNING: People who start fires in the forest could be fined NT$600,000 and if that fire destroys a forest, they could receive a sentence of three to 10 years in prisonBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterMore than 97 percent of forest fires in Taiwan were caused by human activity, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said yesterday, calling on the public to refrain from starting fires in forests during the high-risk season. Agency Deputy Director-General Liao Yi-kuang (廖一光) said forest fires could damage tree resources and cause more fallen branches. Forest fire season usually runs from October through April, the agency said. There were 220 forest fires from 2021 to last year, of which 100, or about 45 percent, occurred in March and April, the data showed. People should refrain from unnecessary burning in forests to help prevent forest fires, the agency said.

Source: Taipei Times March 19, 2026 17:14 UTC