Ehime, Okayama Pref. Wildfires Still Not Contained on Day 5; Miyazaki Pref. Fire Brought Under Control on 2nd Day

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:22 JST, March 27, 2025

The wildfires in Ehime and Okayama prefectures were still not contained on Thursday, while another wildfire in Miyazaki City had mostly been brought under control on Wednesday, the day after it broke out.

In Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, damage to two houses has been confirmed, bringing the total number of such buildings to 11 since the wildfire broke out on Sunday. As of 8 a.m. on Thursday, evacuation orders had been issued to 7,494 people from 3,848 households in Imabari and the neighboring city of Saijo, and a total 206 people from 182 households had evacuated.

The wildfire in Okayama Prefecture, which also broke out on Sunday, had burned a total of about 559 hectares in Okayama City and neighboring Tamano as of 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Evacuation orders issued on Tuesday covered 2,133 people from 1,091 households in the two cities. Four people had evacuated as of 10 a.m. on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Miyazaki municipal government at 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday lifted evacuation orders issued to 70 households, after it confirmed the flames had died down. The fire had burned about 50 hectares as of 7 a.m. that day. No damage to residents or buildings had been reported.