6 fires lit in Taipei overnight; suspect gives up

Later that night, the suspect turned himself in.

Suspect, Chen Yan-cheng, 25, walked into a police station located at Roosevelt Rd. on his own at 12:30 a.m. and confessed his guilt in setting the fires with a single lighter.

Chen is moderately retarded and seems under the weather, local media said.

Four of the six fires were set in Daan district and two in Xinyi, both being prime areas in Taipei City. Firefighters and policemen dashed from one place to another last night, putting out the flames, which were spreading fast due to strong winds. No one was reported hurt.

The first fire was reported at 6 p.m., occurring at Sec. 2, Heping E. Road. at an empty house belonging to the National Property Administration. Later, a fire torched another empty apartment, Zhengyi Building (正義大樓), on Zhongxiao E. Road around 9 p.m. The Taipei City Fire Department dispatched 22 fire fighting trucks and 67 firefighters to the spot immediately, extinguishing the blaze in 30 minutes.

However, the carnage went on as 49 minutes later, a factory near Living Mall (京華城百貨) was reported to be on fire, and then a blaze on Renai Road happened approximately at 11 p.m., while 17 minutes later, the Zhenyi Building was burned yet again. Finally, the sixth arson occurred at a wooden cottage on Section 3, Keelung Road.

The Taipei Fire Department sent out a total of 142 fire fighting trucks and 357 firefighters.

Shortly after firemen had smothered all the flames, the alleged arsonist Chen turned himself in. Having a previous record of committing arson, Chen's motives were still under investigation as of yesterday afternoon.

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