Taoyuan City, Taiwan — January 18, 2026
A major fire broke out early Saturday morning at an old mixed-use building on Heping Road in Taoyuan District, prompting a large-scale emergency response. The blaze erupted at 12:11 a.m., engulfing the 5th to 8th floors of the eight-story structure and sending thick smoke billowing into the night sky.
The Taoyuan City Fire Department immediately deployed nearly 100 firefighters and volunteer responders, who launched an aggressive attack to prevent the fire from spreading. Within 20 minutes, crews managed to bring the flames under control, and by 2:33 a.m., the fire was fully extinguished.
Building Details and Extent of Damage
The burning structure is an eight-floor, one-basement building located in an older commercial-residential district of Taoyuan. The property previously housed a motel, karaoke bars, and small businesses, though currently only the lower floors are occupied.
Initial reports suggest that the fire began on the 5th floor and rapidly spread upward, consuming large amounts of stored clutter and debris inside the vacant upper floors. Firefighters arriving at the scene found the upper levels fully ablaze.
After extinguishing the fire, teams conducted floor-by-floor searches, confirming that no one was trapped or injured.
Damage assessment shows:
-
5th floor: 50 square meters burned
-
6th floor: 50 square meters burned
-
7th floor: 100 square meters burned
-
8th floor: 100 square meters burned
Cause Under Investigation
Authorities noted that the affected floors appeared uninhabited at the time of the fire. Investigators from the Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Division will conduct a detailed examination to determine the exact cause of the blaze.