An overnight fire and blast in a Tainan neighborhood hurt 13 people and wrecked homes and cars, though everyone injured was treated and released.

• A fire in a vacant lot full of waste materials blew up early Saturday and spread to eight nearby homes.
• Ten residents and three firefighters were hurt, mostly cuts and burns, and all were sent home after treatment.
• Cars, firetrucks, an ambulance and rescue vehicles were damaged; 36 people were evacuated.
• Aluminum-magnesium alloy and waste oil were found at the site, a likely reason the fire turned explosive.
• Air quality tests afterward came back normal.

Outlook: Investigators are working out the cause, and the illegal-looking waste dumped on the lot is the obvious focus.