Japan has deployed over 2000 firefighters to combat one its worst fire outbreaks it’s experiencing in three decades.
The fire has killed at least one person in the blaze, and has torched more than 5,200 acres around the northern Japanese city of Ofunato since Thursday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA).
The fires are burning in a forest area of Iwate Prefecture, which is Japan’s second largest prefecture and has the country’s second-lowest population density.
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More than 80 buildings are estimated to have been damaged so far, although FDMA noted that details are still being assessed.
“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.
Although January to March is typically Ofunato’s driest season, the area saw less rainfall last month than any February in more than 20 years – recording just 2.5 millimetres, compared to the usual average of 41.
About 4,600 people remain under government-issued evacuation orders as the fire continues to burn.
Some 2,000 have already left the area to stay with friends or relatives, and more than 1,200 have evacuated to shelters, officials said.
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