A building in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan caught fire on the 20th, with the blaze quickly spreading to the nearby forest and expanding rapidly. The fire completely destroyed a residence and a kennel, causing around 100 dogs, including poodles and huskies, to tragically perish in the flames.
The police and fire department received a report in the afternoon stating that "a building is on fire." By the time the firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire had already spread to the mountainside beside the building. With the fire site expanding, at a little after 3 p.m., the fire department requested a disaster relief helicopter from the Kumamoto Prefecture government.
According to Kumamoto police, the fire was extinguished after four hours. A one-story, wooden house registered under 63-year-old Tetsuya Kihara, occupying about 340 square meters, along with two kennels, were completely burned down. About 100 dogs kept at the site were all lost in the fire.
It was reported that Tetsuya Kihara was engaged in dog breeding. The dogs that perished were mainly poodles, huskies, and other breeds.
At the time of the fire, Kihara was out, so there were no human casualties. The police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.