Prosecutors in Taoyuan have charged two company operators over a factory fire that sent thick smoke toward Taoyuan International Airport — bad news for the pair, who face jail time and unpaid damages.

• A pump short-circuited at a metal-sheet factory in Luzhu, setting fire to 100 tonnes of palm and other vegetable oils stored inside.
• The blaze burned fiercely and smoke drifted toward the nearby airport, but nobody was hurt and flights were not disrupted.
• Prosecutors say the 68-year-old owner and the 42-year-old plant manager skipped routine checks on wiring, power boxes and spilled oil on the floor.
• Other companies renting space in the building lost property and filed the complaint that triggered the case.
• Prosecutors are asking for at least seven months in prison, saying the two denied fault, paid nothing, reached no settlement, and blocked cleanup work.

Outlook: The case now goes before a judge, with the requested sentence hinging on the men's refusal to compensate the other tenants.