Commencement of Issuing Forest Fire Advisories and Warnings - Protecting Toyohashi Citizens and the City from Forest Fires

As forest fires occur frequently nationwide, Toyohashi City in Aichi Prefecture began operating forest fire advisories and warnings from April 2026. The issuance period is from January to May, when conditions become dry, and warnings are issued based on indicators notified by the national government. The first advisory was issued on April 8.

In response to the large-scale forest fire that occurred in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture on February 26, 2025, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency held a "Review Meeting on the Ideal State of Fire and Disaster Prevention Measures," concluding that it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of forest fire prevention.

Accordingly, Toyohashi City partially revised its fire prevention ordinances to implement more effective preventive measures.

The areas targeted for forest fire advisories and warnings have been made identical to the areas requiring permits for controlled burning under the Forest Act, making it easier for related departments to cooperate and inform citizens. When an advisory is issued, citizens will be notified through patrol broadcasts by fire trucks and the use of "Toyohashi Hot Mail" (a registration-based email service).

In Toyohashi City itself, a forest fire just occurred on March 14, 2026, burning about 3.5 hectares near the coast. This year, there are particularly many fires involving dry grass and forests, and most fires in mountainous forests occur due to human carelessness, such as the spreading of bonfires.

Mountain forest fires, which are difficult to extinguish due to steep terrain and limited road conditions, can cause tremendous damage once they occur, making prior prevention more important than anything else.

The City Fire Department has been calling on people to be extremely careful when handling fire outdoors, and is asking for cooperation, saying, "We would like citizens to also pay attention to issued advisory information."