A fire broke out on August 18, 2025, in a seven-story mixed-use building located in the bustling Minami district near Dotonbori, Osaka's popular entertainment and tourist area. The blaze started around 9:50 a.m. on the first floor of the building along Soemon-cho street, close to landmarks such as the Glico billboard and Ebisu Bridge. The fire spread to an adjacent five-story building, affecting a total area of approximately 110 square meters. Firefighters deployed 51 fire engines and a helicopter to combat the fire. During the firefighting operations, two male Osaka City firefighters, aged 22 and 55, were trapped on the sixth floor when the ceiling collapsed and died from oxygen deprivation caused by suffocation. Four other individuals, including a woman and three firefighters, suffered injuries such as burns and heatstroke but survived. The fire was largely extinguished by early afternoon. Past inspections by the Osaka City Fire Department had identified six violations of fire safety regulations at the building, including inadequate fire alarms and lack of evacuation drills, though only some issues had been addressed. The Osaka Prefectural Police and Fire Department are conducting investigations and on-site inspections to determine the exact cause of the fire. The incident has drawn condolences from officials and highlighted the risks faced by first responders. Separately, two Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force members died during training at the Oita Nisshūdai training ground due to lightning strikes, with no external injuries reported.