Overview
- Residents reported thick black smoke from a ship dismantling site in Kure around 12:50 p.m. Thursday, prompting a large emergency response.
- Flames spread through decommissioned vessels and scrap on the yard and also burned boats tied up at a nearby quay.
- The Kure City Fire Department deployed 19 engines, and Coast Guard vessels joined water-side firefighting to contain the coastal blaze.
- Kure ordered an evacuation for 356 households, about 650 people, and officials said no injuries or house fires have been confirmed.
- People nearby described a strong oil smell and blast-like sounds, which are common when residual fuels and metal burn, and officials said cause and full containment remain under investigation.