A fire in Tainan's Annan District burned with unnatural white flames overnight, forcing firefighters to hold back rather than attack it directly — a worrying sign of unknown chemical waste dumped on the site.

• The blaze broke out after 1am on a vacant lot in a quiet residential area, waking neighbors.
• Bright white flames and stray sparks pointed to a chemical reaction, not an ordinary fire.
• Scrap aluminum and furnace slag were found at the site, possibly mixed with unidentified chemical waste.
• Water could make it worse, so crews sprayed only around the edges to cool things down and protect parked cars nearby.
• Commanders called in sand and chemical foam to smother the flames instead.

Outlook: Once the site cools, investigators will try to identify the chemical waste and determine whether the landowner mishandled it.