TOKYO (BN24)— Firefighters in southwestern Japan struggled Wednesday to contain a fire that swept through a coastal neighborhood in the city of Oita, damaging or destroying roughly 170 homes and forcing more than 170 residents to evacuate as strong winds continued to complicate the response. Authorities said a man in his 70s remained missing as emergency agencies worked to account for residents and assess the full extent of the damage.
The blaze began Tuesday evening near a fishing port in Oita on Kyushu, Japan’s southern main island. Officials said powerful winds quickly carried the flames inland, moving from the waterfront through tightly packed residential streets before spreading into a nearby forest. The speed of the fire’s advance left little time for evacuation, and residents described rushing to safety as smoke and embers filled the air.
One woman told Kyodo News she escaped with only the clothes she was wearing, saying the flames “spread in the blink of an eye,” leaving no opportunity to gather belongings as the fire overran her neighborhood. The rapid escalation forced authorities to issue immediate evacuation orders, sending families to shelters as firefighters attempted to create containment lines.
By midday Wednesday, Japanese television footage showed smoke still rising from large sections of the affected area, where rows of houses had been reduced to blackened foundations. Though the flames that lit the sky overnight were no longer visible, scorched debris continued to smolder as emergency teams navigated collapsed structures and unstable ground.
More than 200 firefighters and dozens of fire engines were dispatched to the scene, where crews had been working for nearly 20 hours without full containment. The Ground Self-Defense Force deployed two UH-1 helicopters to drop water over the burning forested sections and support ground units fighting the spread toward additional homes.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a statement posted on X, offered condolences to residents who lost homes and pledged government assistance. She said authorities would “provide maximum support” to those affected as local officials coordinated ongoing firefighting operations, shelter management, and damage assessments.
The cause of the fire had not been announced, and officials said the priority remained controlling remaining hot spots and ensuring that shifting winds did not reignite flames in residential areas already weakened by the overnight blaze.
