Key points
- Japan’s biggest forest fire in three decades rages
- Flames continue to grow in northern Iwate region
- One death reported so far
TOKYO, Japan: Over 2,000 firefighters, backed by military helicopters, are battling Japan’s biggest forest fire in three decades, as the blaze burns thousands of hectares of land every day.
Japanese officials on Monday said about 4,600 residents remain under evacuation advisories as the fire rages in the northern Iwate region, killing at least one person last week.
The fire, which broke out near the city of Ofunato, follows record low rainfall in the area and last year’s hottest summer on record across Japan, as climate change pushes up temperatures worldwide, Al Jazeera reported.
“Fire will spread”
“Although it is inevitable that the fire will spread to some extent, we will take all possible measures to ensure there will be no impact on people’s homes,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in parliament.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) said the fire has consumed approximately 5,200 acres (2,100 hectares) of land so far.
“We are still examining the size of the affected area, but it is the biggest since the 1992 wildfire” in Kushiro, FDMA spokesman Hokkaido told the AFP news agency on Saturday.
Firefighters from 14 Japanese regions, including units from Tokyo, were now tackling the blaze, with 16 helicopters — including from the military — trying to douse the flames.
84 buildings damaged
It is estimated to have damaged 84 buildings by Sunday, although details were still being assessed, the AFP reported.
Around 2,000 people have left the area to stay with friends or relatives, while more than 1,200 evacuated to shelters, according to officials.
Morning footage from Ofunato on national broadcaster NHK showed orange flames close to buildings and white smoke billowing into the air.
