Wind-Driven Fire in Oita Destroys About 170 Buildings, Leaving One Dead

Overview

• Authorities say roughly 170 homes and other structures were destroyed or damaged in Oita’s Saganoseki district.
• About 175 residents evacuated to emergency shelters as one person was confirmed dead and a woman in her 50s sustained minor injuries.
• The fire scorched about 48,900 square meters and reached an uninhabited island more than a kilometer offshore, according to officials and local media.
• More than 200 responders with dozens of fire engines and Self-Defense Force helicopters were deployed, with the blaze not fully controlled nearly 20 hours after it began.
• Oita officials reported around 260 households without electricity as the cause remains under investigation, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged maximum support.