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As of March 31, damages to 221 buildings were confirmed in the large-scale forest fire that broke out in Ofunato City in February, and city hall began accepting applications for demolition. Nearly 60 people remain in two evacuation centers in the city and more than 130 are taking refuge at the homes of relatives and acquaintances (as of April 11).

Evacuees and local government officials have lodged complaints about the state of their futons, noting their stale scent and form. After hearing such complaints, Civic Force began supporting futon drying on April 12 as part of an effort to improve the environment at evacuation shelters.

The drying system involves insulating the truck's cargo space and creating an enclosed space where the futons can be dried at high temperatures using a jet fan and air intake duct. A drying stand is installed in the cargo space. Heating the futons to over 50 degrees Celcius not only removes moisture, but also kills dust mites.

The evacuees who received the futons were delighted and looked forward to continuing to use the service.

Evacuation centers in past disasters have experienced similar issues such as not being able to do laundry. In the two evacuation centers in Ofunato City, the sanitary environment improved relatively quickly after washing machines and laundromats were installed by aid groups. However, unlike clothing, bedding cannot be easily washed or hung out to dry which led to Civic Force responding to this need.