A pre-dawn fire on a vacant lot in Tainan's Annan District damaged nearby homes, and city crews are now hauling away the wreckage — bad for the affected residents, though cleanup is moving fast.

• The fire broke out around 1am on a piece of empty land where waste appeared to be piled up, and the flames spread to neighboring houses.
• Fourteen sanitation workers and trucks have already carted off 3 tonnes of broken glass, aluminum window frames, ceiling panels and furniture.
• Police and fire investigators are looking into where the dumped waste came from and who put it there, with criminal charges possible under Taiwan's waste disposal law.
• The site has been covered with soil to stop it reigniting, and air quality is being watched for smoke and odors downwind.

Outlook: Cleanup crews will keep working as long as residents need help, while the investigation into the illegal dumping decides who pays.