Fire burning in southwestern Japan damages 170 homes, forces evacuations

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

Firefighters were battling an out-of-control fire on Wednesday morning that has burned through a neighbourhood 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 on Tuesday evening near a fishing port in the city of Oita and spread to a forest. Oita is on the southern island of Kyushu. One resident told Kyodo News Agency she quickly fled without many of her belongings because the fire “spread in the blink of an eye.”