Key Points
- A significant fire erupted in the Hokanchō shopping district near Okayama Station on the afternoon of July 31st.
- The fire caused extensive damage to several structures, including charred beams and sections of the shopping arcade’s roof.
- Local residents expressed high levels of concern due to the high density of old wooden buildings in the area.
- Strong winds and thick smoke hampered visibility and firefighting efforts, with ash reported falling across the neighborhood.
Full Transcript (English)
Reporter (Kengo Fukui): I am Kengo Fukui from 8bitNews. It is currently around 1:00 PM, and I am at the west exit deck of Okayama Station. If you look behind me toward the west exit, can you see the smoke rising? A fire has broken out in the Hokanchō shopping district. I am going to head to the scene now.
Reporter: It is 1:10 PM. I have arrived at Hokanchō 2-chome. Firefighting operations are currently underway deep inside the district. I spoke with some local residents earlier, and they mentioned that this area is densely packed with wooden houses and newer buildings, making them extremely worried. I also spoke with the police, but they say the situation is still unclear. Smoke is filling the arcade, and there is a constant, heavy smell of burning. Residents are watching the situation in shock.
Reporter: I am still in Hokanchō 2-chome. In this alley behind the fruit shop, the smoke is incredibly thick, and ash is frequently flying through the air. Firefighters are working desperately inside. The smoke is so intense that everyone is covering their mouths to keep from inhaling it. The air is thick with the smell of char. It is difficult to see even a short distance ahead through the haze.
Reporter: It is 1:15 PM. In this alley just off the main street, a long line of fire trucks has arrived to join the effort. Smoke has drifted into these side streets as well, making it hard to breathe. Ash is falling on the residents as they move about hurriedly. We cannot see exactly what is happening deeper in the arcade from here.
Reporter: The temperature is very high, and a strong wind is blowing intermittently. This wind is carrying the smoke further out. It is now 1:20 PM. I am further inside the shopping district. You can see the beams of the burning house have been charred completely black. Firefighters are continuing their work. The roof of the shopping arcade itself appears to have been scorched black by the flames. Smoke is billowing out from that area and spreading across the town.
Reporter: It is 1:28 PM. I am now between Hokanchō 2-chome and 3-chome on the south side. You can see a massive plume of smoke rising in the background. The wind is very strong right now, causing the smoke to shift significantly. Residents I spoke with said that while there have been small fires in the past, they are stunned by the scale of this one. We will continue to gather information.
Reporter: It is 1:35 PM. The wind is blowing from west to east. When the gusts pick up, a huge amount of smoke is pushed toward us. It is 1:40 PM, and I am back in front of the Marufuku Fruit Shop. The smoke is so thick here that you cannot see the end of the alley at all. My eyes are stinging from the ash in the air. People are watching the scene while shielding their faces.
Reporter: It is 1:45 PM. On this street, you can see ash falling from the sky. Even the sunlight is being blocked by the thick smoke. The top of the nearby building is shrouded in haze. Fire hoses have been stretched all the way from the main road into the shopping district.
Reporter: It is 1:50 PM. I am here with Motoya Fujitani, who works at the SGSG cram school nearby.
Guest (Motoya Fujitani): I am a university student, so I was actually at the university when this started. I saw the smoke from the campus. I checked the fire department’s dispatch information online, and when I saw the address was right here, I rushed back immediately.
Reporter: What is the situation at your workplace, SGSG?
Guest (Motoya Fujitani): It is right over there. Since we aren’t open at this hour, the shutters were down. It is a bit away from the main fire, so I don’t think there is major damage to our building, but the shops right next to us are burning. It was a relief that no staff members were inside at the time. It is very worrying to see the surrounding shops like this.
