Wildfires Rage on in Japan’s 2 Prefectures; 2,585 Ordered to Evacuate in Ehime Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, March 25, 2025

Wildfires continued to spread on two sides of the Seto Inland Sea in Ehime and Okayama prefectures on Tuesday, the third day since they broke out, expanding the burned areas.

In Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, on the southern side of the Seto Inland Sea, five helicopters dispatched by the Self-Defense Forces and Ehime and Tokushima prefectures among others have been dropping water from above, yet isolated sparks continued to fly away, and the extent of the fire damage has extended to about 214 hectares. Evacuation orders were issued to 2,585 people in 1,345 households in both Imabari and the neighboring city of Saijo. As many as 192 people from 166 households have evacuated.

Shikoku Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Company, Inc. cut electricity to a number of households in the Asakura-Minami district in Imabari on Monday. About 10 households were still without power on Tuesday.

“Even when I thought the fire subsided, then the wind blew up a large blaze like an explosion. I’m scared the fire may continue for a long time,” said a homemaker in her 60s in the district.

In Okayama City, on the northern side of the Seto Inland Sea, a forest fire abated on Monday, but winds on Tuesday increased the burned areas by 50 hectares. As of 10 a.m., the extent of fire damage amounted to about 300 hectares.