Yilan, August 17, 2025 — A 63-year-old woman surnamed Wang, who was dramatically rescued just three days earlier after her car plunged 80 meters into a ravine on the Beiyi Highway, tragically lost her life in a house fire in Sanxing Township last night.
The blaze broke out around 5 p.m. in a two-story farmhouse on Dazhou Road. At the time, Wang’s husband, 67-year-old Lu, was mowing the lawn outside when he heard what he described as an “explosion” from inside the house. He rushed in and found his wife engulfed in flames. Despite pulling her out, she had already suffered burns to 90 percent of her body and showed no signs of life. Firefighters arrived shortly after and extinguished the fire in less than 30 minutes.
Investigators who examined the scene said the fire was confined to a small area, roughly three square meters, centered around a wooden fabric sofa in the living room. Several floor tiles had cracked due to the heat, but no accelerants, lighters, or fuel containers were discovered. The absence of obvious ignition sources has left authorities puzzled as to how the blaze could have been so deadly.
The victim’s husband, Dr. Lu, is the director of Yilan Yuanshan Hospital, which specializes in psychiatric care. A graduate of the National Defense Medical College and a former director of Tri-Service General Hospital’s Beitou branch, he retired early and moved to Yilan more than a decade ago. Friends and neighbors said the couple kept a low profile, rarely socializing locally, and often spent weekends in Taipei.
Just three days earlier, on August 13, Wang had been rescued after her vehicle veered off the Beiyi Highway during a typhoon, plunging into an 80-meter ravine. The dramatic rescue was widely reported, with her husband rushing to the scene in relief after she was pulled to safety.
Neighbors described the couple as quiet and reserved, noting that Wang seldom left the house. Some speculated she might have been unwell, though her husband insisted she had no major medical history beyond medication for chronic conditions.
Police said they will continue investigating the cause of the fire, reviewing Wang’s medical records, and examining possible insurance factors. Even seasoned firefighters admitted they were perplexed by how such a small-scale blaze could prove fatal so quickly.
