By AFP - Agence France Presse
Japanese forest on fire after military exercise with explosives
Firefighters and helicopters were battling a forest fire on a Japanese island on Friday, with media reports saying it may have been started by military exercises nearby.
Live footage from public broadcaster NHK showed the fire burning up a wooded hillside in western Hiroshima and smoke billowing into the air.
The fire comes after a dry weather warning was issued in southern Hiroshima following a long period without rain, and residents have been advised to take care when dealing with the blaze.
The forest is flanked by a firing range operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Forces (MSDF), which was carrying out “explosives training at around 9:30 am (0030 GMT)” on Friday, a spokesman told AF. On Friday, a spokesman told AFP.
“Gunpowder was being used for the exercise,” said the official from the MSDF's 1st Service School, adding that ‘it is still being investigated’ whether the explosives caused the fire.
Around 60 firefighters and four helicopters were mobilized to put out the fire, which took over at least two hectares of forest, a local firefighter told AFP.
No injuries have been reported, but the authorities have asked the 150 or so residents of a nearby retirement home to start evacuating in case the fire spreads.
The forest is in the Etajima district of Hiroshima, an island with a population of more than 20,000 people.
In 2024, Japan had its hottest year since records began in 1898, mirroring other nations as increasing greenhouse gas emissions fuel climate change.
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