Three firefighters were hurt fighting a fire in Tainan that blew up when water hit burning magnesium-aluminum material, but all have been released from hospital.

• A fire broke out on an empty lot on Haidian Road in Tainan's Annan District early Saturday.
• The burning material contained magnesium-aluminum compounds, which react violently with water and set off a strong blast.
• Three firefighters from the city's sixth brigade were injured, along with nearby residents helping put out the flames.
• Mayor Huang Wei-che visited the brigade and handed over cash payments to thank the injured crew.
• The crew credited their commander's order to pull back quickly for keeping the injuries from being far worse.

Outlook: The injured firefighters are recovering at home and expected back on duty soon, with questions likely to follow about what the reactive material was doing on an open lot.