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Ōita Saganoseki Fire: Residents Allowed Limited Return as City Secures 180 Temporary Homes

Escorted home inspections start for evacuees following days of wind-driven spread.

Overview

  • City staff began escorted, time-limited entry on Nov. 22 for residents to check damage and record their relocation plans.
  • Ōita City has secured 180 temporary units across public housing, company dormitories, private apartments and nursing-home rooms, with hotel stays arranged until move-in.
  • Firefighters have not declared full extinguishment as heat sources dropped from over 100°C to about 70°C, with work continuing on Tsuta Island and nearby forests.
  • The blaze destroyed roughly 170 buildings across about 48,900 square meters, affected around 130 households, and resulted in one confirmed death—76-year-old Kiyoshi Inagaki—and one injury.
  • Expert analysis of resident and police video indicates strong winds and flying embers drove rapid spread, as the governor signals a request for national aid and shelters address influenza cases with Tamiflu.