Massive Fire in Japan’s Oita City Destroys Over 170 Buildings; Whereabouts of 1 Resident Unknown (UPDATE 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:58 JST, November 19, 2025

OITA — A fire broke out in the Saganoseki area of Oita City on Tuesday evening, eventually spreading to more than 170 buildings, including residences.

Over 50 fire trucks and disaster response helicopters from both Oita and Kumamoto prefectures were dispatched to the scene. Despite ongoing firefighting efforts, as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, more than 17 hours after the fire was first reported, there was no sign of the fire being put out.

The whereabouts of one resident — Kiyoshi Inagaki, 76 — were unknown, according to the Oita prefectural disaster management headquarters. The Oita prefectural police and others have been urgently trying to confirm his safety.

A person was found in cardiac arrest and confirmed dead at about 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday. The police are investigating the person’s identity. Additionally, a woman in her 50s was transported to a hospital with suspected airway burns.

The Oita prefectural government decided on Wednesday to apply the Disaster Relief Law to the city and requested the Self-Defense Forces be dispatched.

The central government established an information liaison office at the Prime Minister’s Office Crisis Management Center the same day. “The government will provide maximum support,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a post on X.

According to the Oita prefectural disaster management headquarters, the fire was first reported at about 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday via an emergency call from a resident. The fire spread rapidly between homes and other structures. The Oita city disaster management headquarters said that the burned area spans about 48,900 square meters.

Fires also broke out in about 10 locations in surrounding forests and mountains. A fire was also seen on the nearby uninhabited island of Tsutashima, located about 1.4 kilometers southeast of Saganoseki.

The city opened an evacuation center at the Saganoseki community center on Tuesday night. Up to 188 people from 125 households sought refuge there. As of 7 a.m. on Wednesday, 170 people from 110 households remained at the center.

The fire also caused power outages. According to the Oita prefectural disaster management headquarters, about 270 households were without power as of 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Oita prefectural and municipal governments held meetings of their disaster management headquarters on Wednesday morning to confirm the situation and what their response would be. Oita Gov. Kiichiro Sato, who is out of the prefecture on official duty, gave instructions online, saying, “Firefighting activities should be conducted in cooperation with Kumamoto Prefecture and the Self-Defense Forces, with all firefighting resources within the prefecture mobilized.”

According to the Oita Regional Meteorological Observatory and others, winds of about 18 kph were blowing in Oita City from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning.

A strong wind advisory was in effect for the Bungo Channel off Saganoseki until the early hours on Wednesday.

The scene of the blaze is located about 25 kilometers east of central Oita City, and is an area known for its thriving fishing industry, particularly for the local specialties such as horse mackerel and mackerel.