Ehime wildfire prompts evacuation
Ehime wildfire prompts evacuation
26 August 2008
published by www.yomiuri.co.jp
Japan — A wildfire that broke out on the west side of Mt. Kasamatsu Sunday afternoon spread to its north side Monday, forcing the Imabari municipal government in Ehime Prefecture to order the evacuation of 52 households.
No injuries or damage to houses have been reported. The flames had come within about 200 meters of a residential area and had burned about 91 hectares of forest as of 4:30 p.m. Monday.
The fire was spotted by a local driver who saw smoke rising from the west side of the 357-meter-high mountain at about 5:10 p.m. on Sunday.
Ten helicopters of the Ground Self-Defense Forces and other organizations have battled the fire at the request of the Ehime prefectural government.
