Key Facts
• August 18, 2025, 9:47 AM: Fire starts on the first floor of a Dotonbori building.
• Flames spread rapidly, engulfing the entire building within minutes.
• Two firefighters, Takashi Mori (55) and Kosei Nagatomo (22), lost their lives.
• Cause of death: Oxygen deprivation due to suffocation, confirmed via autopsy.
• The building, constructed around 1968, had prior fire safety violations in 2023.
• Violations included faulty fire alarms and incomplete evacuation drills.
• External advertising sheets likely accelerated the fire’s vertical spread.
• Firefighters were trapped after a ceiling collapse on the fifth floor.
• The fire spread to an adjacent building connected internally.
• Memorials were set up at the Naniwa Fire Station to honor the deceased.
• Osaka City Fire Department to hold its first accident investigation meeting on August 21, 2025.
Summary
A devastating fire broke out in a Dotonbori building on August 18, 2025, claiming the lives of two firefighters, Takashi Mori (55) and Kosei Nagatomo (22). The fire, which started on the first floor, rapidly spread due to external advertising sheets, engulfing the building within minutes. The building, constructed in 1968, had prior fire safety violations, including faulty alarms and incomplete evacuation drills. The firefighters were trapped on the fifth floor after a ceiling collapse and succumbed to oxygen deprivation. Memorials were held at the Naniwa Fire Station, and an investigation into the incident is set to begin on August 21, 2025. This tragedy highlights the critical need for stringent fire safety measures in older buildings.
