Japan's biggest fire in nearly 50 years ravages 170 buildings, kills one

Smoke rises from a site where a massive fire blazed through more than 170 buildings, as seen from a helicopter, in Oita, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, November 19, 2025, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) -A fire ripped through more than 170 buildings and killed one person in a southern Japanese coastal city on Wednesday, with military and firefighting helicopters scrambling to extinguish the country's largest urban blaze in almost half a century.

Aerial footage from broadcasters showed houses reduced to rubble and thick plumes of smoke rising from the hilly Saganoseki district of Oita city, which overlooks a fishing harbour renowned for its premium Seki-brand mackerel.