Japanese Factory Fire Spreads Through Nearby Community

A fire at a factory Tuesday evening in central western Japan eventually spread to seven different structures, including an apartment building and a convenience store.

Press reports state that at about 7:30 p.m. fire broke out in the sales office of Marukyu Kouki Co. Ltd. in Joetsu on Japan’s west coast. No one was in the sales office at the time of the fire.

The one-story wooden factory specialized in sharpening industrial saw blades.

The fire destroyed five of the seven buildings involved. However, no injures were reported.

Police and the fire department are investigating.