Firefighting efforts to contain two wildfires in northeastern Japan are continuing on the ground and from the air. More than 1,000 hectares of land has been burned so far, forcing residents to evacuate, and the blazes are spreading.
The fires broke out on Wednesday in Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture. One broke out in the mountainous area of Kozuchi, and the other in the area of Kirikiri, about 10 kilometers southeast of the first site.
The town said the fires had, as of Friday morning, burned about 948 hectares in and around the Kirikiri area, and about 228 hectares in the Kozuchi area — a total of about 1,176 hectares.
Town officials said everyone at the affected sites has evacuated and that eight buildings, including a home, have been burned.
The spread of the flames toward the town center has been confirmed, prompting the town to issue an evacuation order for 2,588 residents in 1,229 households, or about a quarter of its population.
The officials say 309 residents from 119 households were taking shelter at four locations in the town as of 7 a.m. on Friday.
A local meteorological observatory says a dry weather advisory has been in effect for the region since Tuesday, and the air is expected to remain dry.
AloJapan.com