Massive wildfire destroys 170 homes, forces evacuations in Oita, Japan

A wildfire that started near a fishing port in the city of Oita, Japan, on Tuesday, has spread into nearby forest and is wreaking havoc. It has burned a neighbourhood in southwestern Japan, forcing evacuations.

For context, Oita is the capital city of Oita Prefecture, located on the island of Kyushu.

More than 170 people have been evacuated and at least 170 homes have been damaged as firefighters continued battling the out-of-control wildfire throughout the night and are still doing so.

According to the Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, a man in his 70s was unaccounted for, but no other casualties have been reported so far. One woman has been hospitalized for mild burns.

One of the residents who fled the fire said that she left without even picking her belongings because the fire spread so quickly, in “the blink of an eye.”

Due to the incident, approximately 300 homes experienced power outages.

Responding to the tragedy, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed her deep condolences and pledged the government's “maximum possible support” to all the victims.

The cause of the wildfire, which has exceeded the scale of the massive 2016 blaze in Itoigawa, has not been determined yet.