Society

Sparks From a Kotatsu Spread to Futon

AICHI, Jan 21 (News On Japan) - A building in Owariasahi, Aichi Prefecture, was engulfed in intense flames on January 18th after firefighters received a call shortly after 5 p.m. reporting that a house was on fire.

Fire engines and other emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, with 15 units dispatched in total, and the blaze was brought under control about six hours later, but a two-story wooden home and a storage shed were completely destroyed.

According to police, an elderly couple living in the house said sparks came from their kotatsu, suggesting a heating appliance may have triggered the fire.

Similar heater-related fires were also reported in Tokyo, where flames burst violently from the balcony of an apartment unit and appeared to be spreading to the floor above.

A fire broke out on the night of January 18th in a room inside a nine-story apartment building, sending seven people to hospital, although four were treated for minor injuries including burns.

The resident of the unit where the fire started reportedly told investigators that bedding and a sweater near an electric heater caught fire and the flames quickly spread.

Source: FNN

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