Overview
- Firefighting intensified Saturday morning with four prefectural disaster‑prevention helicopters and four Japan Ground Self‑Defense Force helicopters conducting repeated water drops, and authorities reported no timeline for containment.
- The burned area reached about 16.75 hectares by midday Saturday, according to local fire officials, after earlier estimates of roughly 16 hectares.
- Flames came within roughly 50 meters of homes, prompting evacuation orders for 76 households covering 143 people, with two shelters opened and at most 15 people using them; no injuries or structural damage have been confirmed.
- Investigators are examining whether the blaze began near a mid‑trail rest area and if a mishandled fire may have been involved, with police and fire authorities conducting a joint probe.
- The site spans Uenohara and Ōtsuki west of the Dangozaka service area on the Chūō Expressway, and forecasters note no measurable rain since December 25 with stronger winds expected on January 11.