The Itoshima City Fire Department has confirmed that there was a fire at the Takasu Recycling Center on the night of July 26. The blaze, which is said to have started at around 9pm, caused damage to approximately 3,000 cubic meters of plastics and household electric appliances. It is estimated that around 200 square meters of forest in the surrounding vicinity were burnt. The fire was extinguished a little after midnight on the same evening, but caused a strange and unpleasant smell that some locals reported to the authorities. Fukuoka Prefecture has called for cities and towns across Fukuoka City and Itoshima City to be cautious of increased levels of PM 2.5 (fine inhalable particles). This is the first time that the Prefecture has issued a warning of this kind in over two years. Two measuring stations in Nishi-ku have estimated that the volume in the atmosphere may exceed the acceptable daily figure. The Fukuoka City Environmental Conservation Division has also stated that increased levels of PM 2.5 may have been one of the causes of the fire in Itoshima. Source: Asahi Shimbun, 7/27/2017
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