Four people died in a fire at a hardware and building materials store in Yuanshan Township, Yilan

A fire at Yuanshan Township Hardware and Building Materials in Yilan killed four people last night. (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)

A fire broke out at a hardware and building materials store in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County, on the night of yesterday (3rd), killing four people. The 82-year-old father of the owner, surnamed You, fell under the outdoor air-conditioning unit on the front balcony of the second floor. The fire was filled with thick smoke. Firefighters searched for three hours before finding the store early this morning. The owner's wife and a pair of children were found in the dressing room in the middle of the iron-clad house on the third floor. All four people died.

The hardware and building materials store that caught fire was a three-story house. The homeowner named You, his wife and two children slept on the third floor, and his parents slept on the floor. When the fire broke out at around 10 o'clock last night, the owner surnamed You fled to the top floor of the supermarket next door. Not long after, the house was caught in the flames and there was no time to return home to save people. At about 11 o'clock, the mother was rescued on the back balcony of the second floor. Four people, including You's father, his wife, and a pair of children, were trapped in the fire.

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At 1:36 this morning, Youfu was found under the outdoor air-conditioning unit on the front balcony of the second floor. A large number of firefighters gathered below the location where he was found. The person was suspected of being choked by thick smoke and passed out, unable to call for help. In addition, due to the thick smoke and poor visibility, he was not discovered immediately and could not escape the clutches of death.

You's wife and her two children fell in the dressing room in the middle of the third floor. You's wife was found first at 2:05 a.m., and your son and daughter were found at 2:52 and 3:22 respectively. At the moment of the incident, You's wife called 119 for help. The Yilan County Fire Department Service Command Center used mobile phones to guide you to close the door and evacuate on the spot. Due to the dense smoke and the spread of the fire, they died in the fire cave. Their 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter had obvious burns and scalds on their bodies.

A fire broke out in a hardware and building materials store, and the entire building was burned to black. (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)

The old father of the house owner surnamed You was found under the outdoor air-conditioning unit on the front balcony of the second floor (red circle). (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)

The wandering wife and two children fell in the dressing room (red circle) in the middle of the third floor. (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)