Fire burning in southwestern Japan damages 170 homes, forces evacuations

TOKYO — Firefighters were battling an out-of-control fire Wednesday morning that has burned through a neighborhood in southwestern Japan and forced more than 170 people to evacuate.

At least 170 homes have been damaged and a man in his 70s was unaccounted for, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

The fire started during strong winds Tuesday evening near a fishing port in the city of Oita and spread to a forest. Oita is on the southern island of Kyushu.

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One resident told Kyodo News Agency she quickly fled without many of her belongings because the fire “spread in the blink of an eye.”