Residential Building Burns in Nagoya: Three Occupants Treated for Smoke Inhalation, Dozens Evacuated, Cause Investigated

Nagoya, Japan— Three occupants were sent to the emergency room for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a residential building in Nagoya on October 22, 2026.

The fire started at 5:12 a.m. on the second floor of a three-storey wooden apartment block in Naka Ward. Residents woke to the smell of burning plastic and the sound of smoke alarms. Flames came from a kitchen area and spread to the hallway, filling the building with thick gray smoke.

Nine people were inside. Six escaped down the stairs covering their mouths. Three, an elderly couple and a man in his 40s living on the top floor, were trapped by smoke on the balcony and shouted for help. Neighbors called 119 while others banged on doors.

Nagoya city fire brigade sent seven engines and a ladder truck. Crews in breathing apparatus entered from both stairwells. They found zero visibility inside and heat near 300 degrees on the second floor. The three trapped occupants were led out with oxygen masks, coughing heavily, eyes red.

“The smoke was so dense we could not see our hands. We followed the walls to find people,” said a fire officer at the scene. The fire was knocked down in 25 minutes. The second-floor unit was gutted, with charred tatami and melted appliances.

Paramedics treated the three on site with oxygen and took them to Nagoya City University Hospital. Doctors listed them as stable with moderate smoke inhalation and no burns. Other residents were allowed back after ventilation, except for the fire unit.

Initial inspection points to a kitchen stove left unattended. A pot had boiled dry and ignited nearby items. The building, built in 1981, had detectors but no sprinkler system. The landlord said fire extinguishers were on each floor and had been checked in July.

The block remains cordoned on the second floor for investigation. Police have opened a routine fire inquiry. No arson is suspected. The city office will provide temporary housing for the displaced family.

The investigation continues. The injured are expected to be released within two days.