Power line trouble seen as possible cause of Okinawa castle fire

Unfortunate. I'm certain the rebuilt castle will be at least as great as the one that burned down because it will be built to the exact specifications.

Well, sad that the fire happened, and glad to hear it wasn't arson. Just need to learn from this for the next time!

This story doesn't really say why they think electricity was responsible. They say the suspicion is based on witness accounts. But what did the witnesses actually say?

@JeffLee Did you miss this?

A surveillance camera captured flashing light at the left backside of the burned-down Seiden main building...When the fire broke out, a thermo-sensitive sensor at the building activated, and the police sources said other security camera footage showing a flame flaring up on the first floor has been obtained.

@hooktrunk2

No mention of electricity in your passage. The "flashing light" would have to be flames, or likely their shadows, no? If they were suspected sparks (much harder to detect) or something, why doesn't the story say so? The  "thermo-sensitive sensor" measures heat, which would obviously come from fire, not electricity.

This is the third time I've seen this happen now. Bad wiring going into a building. Really kind of odd but maybe it's a weather stress point.

@JeffLee Have you never seen an electrical short circuit? Shorts create bursts, which would be hard to call flames, which are particularly bright and hot. Of course it would be picked up on a thermal sensor. These are just clues. Give them time to do their job. They'll figure it out. Since many fires are caused by electrical problems it only makes sense to investigate. Just because the article is lacking in facts, doesn't mean the folks investigating this are inept. Be patient. We'll find out soon what happened.

What I'm still struggling to understand is why there weren't better fire suppression measures in place. I understand that it was completely in line with regulations, and had sprinkler-type equipment on the outside walls, but it's hard to believe there wasn't more inside that could have prevented this, especially since it was rebuilt relatively recently.

Funny, all the electricity in the burned-down buildings were turned off except that provided for security cameras. Could that be the cause of a short circuit?  Let’s wait and see.

A whole castle burns down and there’s no liability?

Events with theatrical performances require lighting. Lighting requires electricity. Somebody out there knows their sketchy work burned downed the castle.