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Yokota Air Base is the headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing in western Tokyo.

Yokota Air Base is the headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing in western Tokyo. (Stars and Stripes)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A fire broke out Thursday evening at this airlift hub in western Tokyo, spurring officials to warn people away from the headquarters building for U.S. Forces Japan.

A spokesman for Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing said no injuries resulted from the fire.

“The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the installation is taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of all personnel and facilities,” Master Sgt. Nathaniel Allen told Stars and Stripes in a text message at 10:22 p.m. Thursday.

He provided no statement on specific fire damage.

“We are in the process of accounting for all personnel and assessing any potential damage to base property,” he wrote.

An 8:09 p.m. mass text alert from the wing said a 500-foot cordon had been established around Building 714 — home to USFJ and 5th Air Force — and advised people to stay clear of the area. That message and a subsequent social media post by the wing did not mention a fire.

“Emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to extinguish the fire, conduct all necessary sweeps, and establish a cordon,” Allen told Stars and Stripes.

A road adjacent to the building’s rear was still blocked off by security forces around 11:30 p.m., with no visible signs of damage to the exterior. Roads on both sides and near the front of the building were accessible.

USFJ is a liaison command that serves as a go-between for the U.S. military throughout the country and the government of Japan.

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Joseph Ditzler is a Marine Corps veteran and the Pacific editor for Stars and Stripes. He’s a native of Pennsylvania and has written for newspapers and websites in Alaska, California, Florida, New Mexico, Oregon and Pennsylvania. He studied journalism at Penn State and international relations at the University of Oklahoma.

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