A fire broke out at Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.'s Osaka factory on the evening of May 20, prompting a large-scale emergency response. The incident occurred around 5:10 p.m., when an employee reported flames emerging from the wall of a metal melting furnace. Roughly 30 fire trucks were dispatched to the site in Konohana Ward to contain the blaze.

According to local police and fire authorities, the fire started in a melting furnace used for metal processing and spread to the surrounding boiler area, burning approximately 30 square meters of facility walls and equipment. No injuries or casualties were reported, and all employees were accounted for.

Sumitomo Electric, a major Japanese manufacturer of electric wires, cables, and electronic materials, also produces power cords, flexible printed circuits (FPCs), electronic wire harnesses, and multi-layer flexible PCBs for a range of applications. While the Osaka plant—located near JR Ajikawaguchi Station and spanning about 277,000 square meters—focuses primarily on wire and cable manufacturing, it forms part of the company’s broader production network.

The plant is located in a densely industrialized area, approximately one kilometer west of Konohana Ward Office and not far from Universal Studios Japan. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.