A fire ravaged five houses in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, resulting in two fatalities and one person getting injured. The fire was reported early Friday morning, with firefighters managing to bring it under control after about three and a half hours. While four houses were almost completely destroyed, another house’s roof suffered damage in the blaze.
Authorities discovered two bodies in the remains of a burned house, with a man in his 60s sustaining injuries in the suspected source house and being hospitalized. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. In a separate incident, a wildfire erupted on Mt. Ogi in Yamanashi Prefecture on Thursday, with no casualties reported yet. The fire, near Uenohara City, prompted the deployment of helicopters due to challenges faced by fire engines in reaching the mountainous terrain.
Notably, Uenohara City had issued a forest fire alert due to dry conditions. In a previous event in December, a fire broke out in a Niigata City apartment building, resulting in multiple injuries. The incident occurred in a 10-story building in Chuo Ward, with firefighters swiftly responding to contain the blaze. The building, situated in a bustling downtown area surrounded by restaurants and residential structures, saw several individuals injured.
