Overview

• The FDMA’s official July 15 report concludes its investigation into the Ōfunato wildfire first spotted near a burnt stump in Akasaki-chō Attari
• Investigators eliminated electrical equipment, wiring faults, bonfires and cigarettes as likely ignition sources due to absence of burn traces
• Reproduction tests showed that heavy wood‐stove fuel and strong winds can scatter embers more than 20 meters from a chimney
• The February blaze killed one person and damaged 222 buildings, including 87 homes, while dry weather, crown fires and ria-coast winds accelerated its spread
• While chimney embers are deemed the most plausible trigger, the FDMA says the exact ignition process and source remain unverified