There were as many as 112 weed and cemetery fires in 228 Lianping County.

(Information photo, provided by Ping County Fire Department)

[Reporter Luo Xinzhen/Pingtung Report] Pingtung County has 228 consecutive false cemeteries and weed fires. On the 26th, a firefighter was crushed by a water tank truck and died on the 26th. The latest statistics from the Fire Department today (28th) From the 25th to 3 pm (28th), as many as 112 weed and cemetery fires have occurred in 4 days. The county has seized 2 people suspected of causing the fire as of this afternoon, and they were all brought back to the investigation office for criminal responsibility.

After the unfortunate death of a firefighter, Pingtung County Governor Zhou Chunmi announced yesterday (27th) that in response to the recent cemetery fire, the Fire Department and the Environmental Protection Bureau are required to study regulations to impose penalties on management units and trace responsibilities. The police department cooperated with the fire department to promote and strictly prohibit the public from setting fire to weeds. Once a fire occurs, it will be severely punished as "arson".

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The Pingtung Police Division seized a 71-year-old man surnamed Li this morning (28th) for allegedly causing the fire at the Wandan Township Cemetery on the afternoon of the 27th; The 60-year-old man surnamed Chen from Cao Huo was notified to appear on the 26th.

The police said that when performing sacrificial activities, be careful not to start a fire, otherwise, in addition to possibly violating the provisions of Article 14 of the Fire Protection Law, the act of starting a fire in the field must be approved by the competent authority. A fire can be fined up to 3,000 yuan. If it causes public danger, it will violate Article 175 of the Criminal Law. The maximum penalty is 1 to 7 years in prison. If you set fire in a forest, you can be punished up to 10 years in accordance with the Forest Law. Imprisonment, with civil liability for compensation.

A 71-year-old man surnamed Li was suspected of causing a fire in a cemetery in Wandan Township.

(Photographed by reporter Luo Xinzhen)