Hundreds of firefighters battle wildfires in northern Japan
Hundreds of firefighters are battling widespread wildfires in northern Japan on Saturday, while authorities have urged more than 3,200 residents to evacuate their homes, according to government officials, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
As of Saturday morning, fires in the mountainous areas of Japan’s Iwate region had burned around 700 hectares (1,730 acres) over the past three days, local officials said in a statement.
A large plume of smoke, reportedly detectable from 30 kilometres (20 miles) away, was seen rising above a valley near the town of Otsuchi, where helicopters were dropping water over burning forest areas. Fire engines were also deployed near residential zones to prevent the flames from spreading to homes.
At least eight buildings have been damaged, though all residents had already evacuated, officials said.
About a dozen helicopters, more than 1,300 firefighters, and units from the Japan Self-Defense Forces are being mobilised to contain the fires, the statement added.
“We’re making efforts to extinguish (the fires) … and will update the information later in the day,” an official from Iwate told AFP.
“Ultimately, I do hope it’ll rain,” a resident of Otsuchi told public broadcaster NHK.
The fires come amid increasingly dry winters that have raised wildfire risks in the region. A major blaze in the city of Ofunato last year was Japan’s worst in more than half a century.
Scientists have long warned that climate change driven by fossil fuel use is intensifying drought conditions, making wildfires more frequent and severe.
By Nijat Babayev
Similar news
