A heartbreaking fire in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture claimed two lives and razed four homes in Ashikaga city early Friday, marking yet another blow to the region’s safety record. The blaze spared no mercy, heavily damaging a fifth property and injuring a 60-year-old man.
The call came in around 7 a.m., with residents reporting heavy smoke from a residential street. Firefighters toiled for over three hours against the stubborn fire, which left four houses in ruins and one with a collapsed roof.
Tragedy unfolded as two bodies were recovered from the rubble, prompting a full-scale police inquiry into identities and origins of the fire. The burned survivor is stable but serves as a stark reminder of the blaze’s ferocity.
Simultaneously, Japan faces a mounting wildfire crisis. Flames erupted on Yamanashi’s Mount Ogi Thursday, visible from Unohara city by 10:45 a.m. The fire’s spread through dense woods has forced aerial interventions, as fire trucks struggle with the terrain amid drought-like conditions.
Local alerts had preceded the outbreak, citing dry winds and low precipitation. Echoing past horrors, a Niigata apartment inferno last December hospitalized several, fueling calls for enhanced fire prevention nationwide. As probes deepen, Japan reflects on these recurring calamities.