Marines shoot on barricades at a rifle range on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, March 13, 2025. (Michael Taggart/U.S. Marine Corps)

A fire broke out Friday during firearms training at a rifle range in northern Okinawa, burning more than 215,000 square feet, according to Marine Corps and Japanese officials.

The blaze occurred at Range 2 on Camp Hansen and caused no injuries or damage to the training area, Marine Corps Installations Pacific spokeswoman 1st Lt. Kelsey Enlow said by email Monday.

The base fire department extinguished most of the flames Friday, but “due to its location in the impact area there was a small smolder” that couldn’t be reached, Enlow wrote.

“A fire watch was set up and the smolder was observed until Saturday morning when the fire department reevaluated and confirmed the area safe and the fire extinguished,” she said.

Marines were training with firearms when the blaze ignited, a spokesman for the Okinawa Defense Bureau said Monday. The bureau is an arm of Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

The bureau informed the Okinawa prefectural government that the fire started at 12:15 p.m. Friday and was fully extinguished by 6:20 a.m. Saturday, a prefectural spokeswoman said Monday. The fire burned an estimated 215,000 square feet and caused no reported damage outside the base, she said.

Some Japanese officials speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

“These types of fires are not uncommon on ranges,” Enlow said. “There are ample measures in place to ensure that they are contained and put out. Safety is always our top concern, and we are exceptionally careful during live-fire ranges and their clean ups.”