TOKYO: Nearly 1,700 firefighters are battling Japan’s biggest forest fire in three decades, officials said Monday (Mar 3), as some 4,600 residents remain under an evacuation advisory.
One person died last week in the blaze in the northern region of Iwate, which follows record low rainfall in the area and last year’s hottest summer on record across Japan.
The fire near the city of Ofunato has burned through some 2,100ha since Thursday, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Monday.
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.
It is estimated to have damaged 84 buildings by Sunday, although details were still being assessed, the agency said.
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.
Source: CNA
