Two wildfires in northeastern Japan are now “largely under control,” the head of a local town said Tuesday, as firefighting continued for a seventh day.
The fires, which broke out in two locations in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, last Wednesday have so far prompted local authorities to advise 3,257 people from 1,558 households to seek shelter and the central government sees the disaster as severe enough to qualify for ramped-up support, including financial assistance.
“Looking from the city area, we don’t see smoke or flames (in the mountains), so it is largely under control,” Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano said at a press conference.
The fires in the districts of Kozuchi and Kirikiri have burned around 1,600 hectares, despite the best efforts of local firefighters and personnel from the Self-Defense Forces and the mobilization of 14 helicopters.
© KYODO
