Jotting #6 - From Post-Quake Fire to Demolition

Cover image from National Dong Hwa University, showing firefighters and volunteer crews battling the blaze at the D side of the College of Science and Engineering.

On April 3, 2024, following the Hualien earthquake, a major fire broke out at the College of Science and Engineering, destroying Building D. The fire spread throughout the building, devastating the laboratories, research rooms, and offices of several departments, including Chemistry and Applied Mathematics. Although firefighters were quickly alerted, the blaze was extremely difficult to contain due to the presence of large amounts of chemical equipment, and because Hualien County did not have a specialized chemical fire truck at the time. Firefighters could only establish water barriers at connecting corridors to prevent the flames from spreading to other floors. Ultimately, Building D was completely destroyed.

The April 3 earthquake and its aftershocks struck Hualien County and its offshore area. The main quake, centered in Shoufeng Township, registered magnitude 7.1 and shook for over 90 seconds, followed by more than a thousand aftershocks. Objects toppled east to west, the intense shaking jolted many out of sleep, and I felt my mind go completely blank before instinctively taking cover for safety. Fortunately, my residence suffered no major damage, though the inside was left in disarray.

On my way to the department building after the quake, I noticed the campus library tower had been damaged and was immediately cordoned off. Once a vantage point overlooking the entire campus and nearby communities, farmlands, and fishponds, the tower is now permanently closed due to structural concerns, a great loss.

Post-disaster evaluations concluded that Building D was beyond repair and should be demolished as soon as possible. The fire destroyed many laboratories and offices, rendering all computers and equipment unusable. As a result, laboratory space is now critically scarce, and the remaining equipment is insufficient to meet the needs of students.

After a year and a half of waiting, demolition of Building D finally began at the end of August 2025. To ensure recycling and reuse of the debris, NDHU secured support from the Ministry of Environment’s “Resource Circulation Innovation Program.” The demolition materials will be sorted according to regulations and stored at the university’s temporary wood storage facility for proper treatment, implementing waste classification and reuse.

References

• 理工一館. (n.d.). National Dong Hwa University College of Science and Engineering. Retrieved September 5, 2025, from https://csae.ndhu.edu.tw/p/405-1012-124829,c18076.php?Lang=zh-tw
• 2024年花蓮地震. (August 16, 2025). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved September 5, 2025, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/2024年花蓮地震