Overview
- Officials said Thursday they aim to bring the Saganoseki blaze under control by day’s end as firefighting enters a third day.
- At least 170 buildings have been damaged or destroyed across roughly 48,900 square meters, with one confirmed death under police identification after a 76-year-old resident was reported missing.
- Self-Defense Force helicopters conducted water drops and more than 50 fire engines were deployed, while drone surveys identified scattered high-temperature areas in nearby forests.
- The fire, first reported around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, spread rapidly in strong, dry winds through dense wooden housing and into surrounding mountains and the uninhabited islet of Tsutashima.
- Oita Prefecture applied the Disaster Relief Law as the central government set up a liaison office, with shelters housing over 100 evacuees and power outages reduced from earlier levels.