Overview
- The Cabinet Secretariat’s crisis center established an information liaison room after fires in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Gunma, and the prime minister pledged unified action with local governments.
- In Yamanashi’s Ōgiyama area, about 74 hectares have burned, and flames that neared roughly 30 meters from homes were pushed back to about 50 meters after nighttime work.
- Kanagawa’s Hadano fire continues with roughly 70 firefighters on the scene and helicopter support, and the city has restricted mountain entry along a popular trail since the afternoon of January 11.
- The Self-Defense Forces were deployed on disaster dispatch, with two large Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters repeatedly scooping water from sources several kilometers away for aerial drops.
- Gunma’s Kiryu blaze reached a controlled state around 11:50 a.m. on January 12, while the meteorological agency warned of persistent strong winds in northern and eastern Japan.