Fire burning in southwestern Japan damages 170 homes and forces
evacuations
[November 19, 2025]
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKYO (AP)
— Firefighters and army helicopters battled a fire Wednesday that burned
through a neighborhood in southwestern Japan, killing one person,
injuring another and forcing more than 170 people to evacuate.
A man in his 70s was unaccounted for and firefighters later found a
body, possibly of the missing man, and a woman in her 50s suffered a
minor injury, the Oita prefectural disaster response team said.
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Residents watch flames rise from the site of a fire in Oita, southern
Japan Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP) |
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Dozens of fire engines and more than 200 firefighters were
mobilized to battle the fire, which was not fully under control
nearly 20 hours after it started. The Ground Self-Defense Force
dispatched two UH1 army helicopters to assist.
At least 170 homes have been damaged or burned down, the
disaster response team said. The residential section struck by
the fire is close to the coastal area of Oita known for mackerel
fishing but not near the prefecture’s popular hot spring
resorts, called onsen, and historic, thatched-roof homes.
The fire started during strong winds Tuesday evening near a
fishing port in the city of Oita on the southern main island of
Kyushu. The blaze spread to a forest, affecting about 4.9
hectares (12 acres), the Fire and Disaster Management Agency
said.
Authorities are still investigating the fire's cause and how it
spread, the FDMA said.
Japanese television footage showed smoke rising from swaths of
land filled with destroyed and damaged houses, though orange
flames were no longer visible by midday. The Oita prefecture
said about 260 homes remained without electricity Wednesday
afternoon.
A resident told Kyodo News Agency she quickly fled without many
of her belongings because the fire “spread in the blink of an
eye.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted a statement on X offering
sympathy for those affected by the fire and pledged to “provide
maximum support.”
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