Fire at CKS's residence; valuable furniture burnt

The fire was reported to the Taipei City Fire Department by security guards at 10:46 p.m., extinguished at 11:08 p.m. with 65 firemen and 8 firefighting trucks deployed. The incident took place in the living room of the main residence, long closed to the public. About 30 square meters were charred.

Despite no damage to the historical building itself, more than ten pieces of valuable furniture were scorched, including a sofa, a small tea table, and a cabinet, used to display the late president's belongings. Significant documents were, however, untouched.

The fire was reportedly triggered by a spark that ignited a carpet in the corridor outside the west wing of the first floor, said the Taipei City Fire Department.

According to an official from the Fire Department's Investigation Section, the cause of the fire was still under investigation. Presidential Office spokesman Tony Wang, told The China Post that while a short circuit of a temporary electricity box contributed to the incident, the President's Office did not rule out the possibility of arson.

In 2007, another one of Chiang's residences at Yang-Ming Villa also suffered heavy damage from a serious fire.

The former leader's residence, one of the most famous landmarks in Taiwan, serves as a symbol of Taiwan's history and its unique relationship with China. After the defeat of Chiang's KMT party by China's Communist Party in the 1949 civil war, Chiang relocated his government to Taiwan. There, he used the secluded, heavily guarded Shilin estate as a national headquarters and lived there with his wife Soong May-Ling for 26 years.

The home also hosted several diplomatic events, including Taiwan-U.S. discussions of the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty in the 1950s. In 1953, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon stayed on the second floor of the main residence.

As Taiwan transformed from a totalitarian state into a democracy, the electrified fences that once encircled the building were removed, security left the place and it was eventually opened to the public in August 1996.

Shilin Presidential Residence will reinforce its electrical safety to prevent future similar accidents, Wang said. He was unsure whether this fire would affect public visits.

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