Overview

• The Fire and Disaster Management Agency published its official report on July 15 regarding the February Ōfunato forest fire.
• Investigators identified a heavily charred stump in the Akasaki-cho Attari area as the likely point of origin.
• The agency dismissed electrical equipment, wiring faults, on-site bonfires and discarded cigarette remnants as ignition sources due to lack of burn traces.
• A reproduction experiment involving a wood-burning stove chimney located about 20 meters from the stump indicated the highest relative likelihood for spark-driven ignition.
• The wildfire claimed one life and damaged 222 buildings, including 87 houses, marking one of the most severe recent wildfires in the region.