Japan deploys hundreds of firefighters as wildfires rage in north
New Delhi: Japan has deployed 1,400 firefighters along with dozens of Self-Defense Force personnel to combat mountain wildfires that have been burning in the northern region for five days and threaten to reach homes in the coastal town of Otsuchi, officials said on Sunday.
Fanned by dry and windy conditions, two additional wildfires breaking out on Sunday—one in Kitakata city and another in Nagaoka—raising concerns about stretched firefighting resources as teams are redeployed across affected regions.
The wildfire near Otsuchi has already scorched about 1,373 hectares (3,393 acres) as of Sunday morning, marking a 7 per cent increase compared to the previous day.
Residential Areas At Risk
The wildfires are now threatening residential areas of Otsuchi on Japan’s Pacific coast—a town that lost nearly a tenth of its population during the devastating March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Authorities expanded evacuation orders to cover 1,558 households or 3,257 residents by Sunday evening—nearly a third of Otsuchi’s population.
“Although the Self-Defense Forces are fighting the fires from the sky (with helicopters), the dry weather and winds are helping the fires expand,” Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano told a press conference
Residents have been taking precautionary measures, with some using hoses to douse their homes and nearby vegetation in an effort to slow the fire’s advance.
“I am prepared to evacuate by my car at any time. Fire won’t be able to catch up to us since it does not move as fast as a tsunami,” said 67-year-old resident Shigeki Fujiwara.
With flames visible in the nearby mountains, Fujiwara said his family had already evacuated, but he chose to remain behind out of concern for protecting his home.
Forecast For Rain
The only reported casualty so far is a minor injury sustained by an individual who fell at an evacuation centre, according to the Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Rain is forecast in parts of the southern coastal region of Iwate Prefecture, where Otsuchi is located, offering some hope for relief, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The cause of the Otsuchi wildfire remains unclear and is currently under investigation.
Although Japan has historically seen fewer wildfires compared to other regions, climate change has contributed to a rise in such incidents.
Hot, dry, and windy conditions—particularly during the early spring months before the rainy season—have increasingly created an environment conducive to the rapid spread of fires.
(DD News)
