Evacuation Directive Lifted for 138 Households, 152 People in Otsuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, over Forest Fire

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:22 JST, January 18, 2026

The municipal government of Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Sunday lifted an evacuation directive put in place following a forest fire that broke out on Jan. 8 on Mt. Ogi, which straddles Otsuki City and Uenohara City in the prefecture.

The Otsuki municipal government said that “the risk of the fire spreading to homes has decreased.”

The directive had covered 138 households and 152 people within the city.

According to the fire departments of both cities, a tentative figure of about 383 hectares had burned in both cities as of noon Sunday.

While the fire on the Uenohara City side has mostly been contained, it continues to spread on the Otsuki City side.

Firefighting operations are scheduled to continue on Monday.