A forest fire broke out in Midori City, Gunma Prefecture on the afternoon of the 22nd, and the fire is still spreading.
Fire extinguishing activities have been temporarily suspended due to sunset, and fire fighting will resume from the morning of the 23rd.
At around 0:20 pm on the 22nd, a resident reported to the fire department that "smoke is rising from the mountain" in Azumachosouri, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture.
According to police, two nearby homes may have burned down and burned into the mountains, leaving a 73-year-old man living in one of them out of contact.
A helicopter of the Self-Defense Forces and a disaster prevention helicopter in Niigata Prefecture were also dispatched to extinguish the fire from the sky, but the fire is still spreading.
The fire department and the Self-Defense Forces have decided to suspend firefighting activities at 6:30 pm on the 22nd and resume from the morning of the 23rd due to sunset.
Midori City has issued evacuation orders to 24 neighboring households, saying that there is a risk of fire spreading due to this fire, and as of 8:00 pm, 7 people from 5 households have been evacuated to the evacuation center opened near the site. is.
According to the Maebashi Local Meteorological Observatory, since a very small amount of precipitation was observed at a nearby observatory on the 18th of this month, it has been dry without rain, and a dry warning has been issued throughout the prefecture to call attention. I will.
Residents who evacuated
A woman in her 80s who evacuated said, "I evacuated because my neighbor told me to evacuate. I had seen a forest fire on TV before, but when I saw it in the immediate vicinity, it was completely different. Even in the daytime 1 I was anxious and uncomfortable when I was a person. "
Another woman in her 80s said, "I was very scared of the wildfire in front of me. I evacuated immediately, but I may not be able to sleep today."