A wildfire in the northern Japanese prefecture of Iwate has forced the evacuation of over a thousand people and claimed at least one life. On Saturday, approximately 2,500 firefighters from across the country battled the blaze, assisted by 17 helicopters. The fire has engulfed around 1,400 hectares (3,000 acres) in the forest of Ofunato, making it the largest forest fire since a 1992 wildfire in Kushiro, Hokkaido, as reported by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The Ofunato municipality, located about 500 km (310 miles) from Tokyo, has advised around 4,600 people to seek refuge elsewhere since the fire erupted on Wednesday. By Friday, more than 1,000 nearby residents had been evacuated and over 80 buildings damaged. The blaze has resulted in power outages affecting more than 700 households in Ofunato and the neighboring village of Sanriku, and the train service connecting the two areas has been suspended for the entire day.

The area is experiencing an unusually dry period, with only 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) of rainfall so far this month, setting a new record low for February. Two other fires were also burning elsewhere on Saturday; one in Yamanashi and the other in Iwate.

Last year marked Japan’s hottest year on record, mirroring similar trends in many countries as climate change drives rising global temperatures.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/japan-fights-worst-wildfire-in-decades/a-71791934?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf