A wildfire in northeastern Japan continued to spread Thursday and has now burned over 200 hectares, with the Self-Defense Forces joining the firefighting effort, local authorities said.
Since breaking out Wednesday in a mountainous area of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, the fire has destroyed seven buildings, they said. Helicopters of the Iwate government and the SDF were mobilized and personnel from fire departments across the prefecture were brought in.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency urged neighboring Miyagi Prefecture to dispatch its emergency fire response team to join the fight against the blaze, which is raging at multiple locations.
All elementary, junior high and high schools in Otsuchi were closed on Thursday.
As of Thursday afternoon, the town had issued evacuation orders to 2,588 people from 1,229 households.
“The situation is changing by the minute,” Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano told reporters. He said he will keep residents informed appropriately in light of both the fire and a special weeklong quake alert through Monday covering Iwate and six other prefectures following a magnitude-7.7 temblor off Iwate earlier in the week.
The local weather observatory had warned of dry air and strong winds in Otsuchi.
“I’m surprised that fires broke out in two locations,” said a 61-year-old woman who evacuated with her family members to a gymnasium, adding she is worried about the condition of her home.
© KYODO
