Yamanashi: A severe wildfire has broken out in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, forcing authorities to order the urgent evacuation of residents living at the foot of the mountains as the flames spread closer to their homes. The fire started last Thursday and was first reported around 10:45 a.m. local time after residents noticed smoke billowing from Mount Ougiyama, a 1,138-meter-high mountain located on the border between Uenohara and Otsuki cities.
According to Thai News Agency, despite aerial firefighting efforts, the flames continued to spread. Firefighters reported that the fire started along a hiking trail, initially burning fiercely in a pile of logs, before spreading to trees and dry grass on the hillside. The fire then shot uphill before veering down towards a community only 150 to 350 meters away.
On Friday morning, the Japan Self-Defense Forces deployed several personnel and helicopters to support firefighting efforts at the request of the prefecture, after operations had been suspended overnight. The Uenohara city government has ordered the evacuation of 143 people in high-risk areas. As of 4:00 AM Friday, 15 people had already been evacuated to designated shelters. However, there have been no reports of injuries or damage to infrastructure or homes so far.