Nearly 1,700 firefighters battle Japan's largest forest fire in 30 years

Nearly 1,700 firefighters are battling Japan's largest forest fire in three decades, officials said Monday, as about 4,600 residents remain under an evacuation advisory.

One person died last week in the blaze in the northern Iwate region, which follows record-low rainfall and last year’s hottest summer on record across Japan.

The fire near Ofunato has scorched roughly 2,100 hectares (5,200 acres) since Thursday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Firefighters from 14 regions, including Tokyo, have joined the effort, with 16 helicopters, including military units, working to extinguish the flames.

By Sunday, the fire had damaged 84 buildings, though further assessments are ongoing, the agency said.

Around 2,000 people have fled the area to stay with family or friends, while more than 1,200 have evacuated to shelters, officials added.

Early morning footage from Ofunato, aired on national broadcaster NHK, showed orange flames near buildings and white smoke billowing into the air.

While the number of wildfires in Japan has decreased since the 1970s, government data shows there were about 1,300 fires across the country in 2023, mostly from February to April when dry air and strong winds are common.

Ofunato saw just 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) of rainfall in February, breaking the previous record low of 4.4 millimeters set in 1967, and far below the usual 41 millimeters for the month.