One person has died, and more than 80 homes appear to have burned down after a wildfire broke out in a northeastern Japan city, local authorities said Thursday, as the region faced its third fire in about a week, Kyodo News reports.
Since Wednesday, the blaze has scorched more than 600 hectares in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, the municipal government said. With the fire still spreading, about 3,300 residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Firefighters battled the blaze through the night, while Self-Defense Forces helicopters were deployed in the morning to contain it from the air.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency requested emergency support from firefighting departments in eight nearby prefectures, and they sent about 690 personnel combined.
An information liaison headquarters has been set up at the prime minister's office. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba instructed relevant ministries to work closely with local authorities to help rebuild the lives of those affected, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.
Nearby schools and kindergartens were closed Thursday, while 500 homes in Ofunato were without power, according to local authorities. A section of a train line in the city was also suspended.
At an evacuation center in the city, 87-year-old Sadao Kumagai feared he had lost his home, saying the "fire and smoke got closer at an unbelievable speed."
Efforts to contain the blaze Wednesday were carried out at ground level, the city government said, as the strong winds precluded waterbombing by helicopters.
When the latest fire broke out, strong wind and dry air warnings were in place in the area.
A wildfire previously broke out in Ofunato on Feb. 19 and was largely extinguished by Tuesday. A second blaze emerged in neighboring Rikuzentakata on Tuesday and was contained by around Wednesday noon.
While the latest fire is close to the site of the first blaze, officials said they are not sure if the two are linked.
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