TOKYO: More than 2,000 firefighters are battling Japan’s biggest forest fire in three decades, officials said on Monday (Mar 3), as about 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, as climate change pushes up temperatures worldwide.
“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.
The fire near the city of Ofunato has burned through about 2,100 hectares since Thursday, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on 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.
