TOKYO: A forest fire broke out in a rural area north of Tokyo on Thursday, near another blaze burning for a fourth day.
One man suffered burns and was hospitalized, and firefighters have been deployed, said Hitomi Hirokami, an official at Kiryu in Gunma prefecture, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Tokyo.
News footage showed smoke billowing upward from the hills.
Another fire has been raging in nearby Ashikaga in Tochigi prefecture, where 207 households have been asked to evacuate, said spokesman Minoru Takayama.
Firefighters were working on the ground, while military helicopters were dousing the area. No one has been injured.
The two fires are not directly related, but the area has not had much rain lately, causing flames to spread, officials said.
An evacuation order for Ashikaga was first issued Tuesday for about 50 households, underlining how the stricken area was growing.
The cause of the fire was unclear, but there’s a rest stop for hikers in an area where it’s believed to have started.
Three evacuation centers were set up with social distancing measures and disinfectants and everyone is wearing masks, Takayama said.
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Helicopters, firefighters battle 2 forest fires in Japan
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Helicopters, firefighters battle 2 forest fires in Japan
- News footage showed smoke billowing upward from the hills
- An evacuation order for Ashikaga was first issued Tuesday for about 50 households
Zelensky wants to replace Ukraine’s defense minister
- President has offered the position to his current minister of digital transformation, who is aged just 34
- No explanation was given for his decision to replace Denys Shmygal
KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said he intended to replace his defense minister and had offered the position to his current minister of digital transformation, who is aged just 34.
“I have decided to change the structure of the Ukrainian ministry of defense,” Zelensky said in his daily address broadcast on social media. “I have offered Mikhailo Fedorov the position of new Ukrainian defense minister.”
Fedorov, who has been digital transformation minister since 2019, is a relative political novice little-known to the Ukrainian public.
“Mykhailo is deeply involved in issues related to drones and is very effective in the digitalization of state services and processes,” Zelensky added.
Without explaining his decision to replace Denys Shmygal, the Ukrainian leader said he had proposed the incumbent “head another area of government work that is no less important for our stability.”
Zelensky had tapped Shmygal as defense minister just half a year ago, in July 2025.
Besides the turnover at the defense ministry, Zelensky also named Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to head his presidential office.
Budanov replaces Andriy Yermak, who was among Ukraine’s most powerful people before being engulfed in a corruption scandal dogging some of Zelensky’s former allies.
“I have decided to change the structure of the Ukrainian ministry of defense,” Zelensky said in his daily address broadcast on social media. “I have offered Mikhailo Fedorov the position of new Ukrainian defense minister.”
Fedorov, who has been digital transformation minister since 2019, is a relative political novice little-known to the Ukrainian public.
“Mykhailo is deeply involved in issues related to drones and is very effective in the digitalization of state services and processes,” Zelensky added.
Without explaining his decision to replace Denys Shmygal, the Ukrainian leader said he had proposed the incumbent “head another area of government work that is no less important for our stability.”
Zelensky had tapped Shmygal as defense minister just half a year ago, in July 2025.
Besides the turnover at the defense ministry, Zelensky also named Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to head his presidential office.
Budanov replaces Andriy Yermak, who was among Ukraine’s most powerful people before being engulfed in a corruption scandal dogging some of Zelensky’s former allies.
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