“We are still assessing the extent of the affected area, but this is the largest fire since 1992, when 1,030 hectares of forest burned in Kushiro (Hokkaido),” reported a representative of the agency.
Footage from helicopters shows thick plumes of white smoke enveloping an entire mountain.
On Friday, February 28, local authorities in Ofunato confirmed that a body of a victim who perished in the flames had been found. More than 1,000 people have been evacuated, and over 80 buildings have been damaged.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Two more fires broke out on Saturday, March 1, one in Yamanashi Prefecture and the other in a different area of Iwate.
In 2023, Japan recorded approximately 1,300 wildfires, the majority occurring between February and April, when the air is dry and winds are strong. Despite this, government data indicates that the number of wildfires has decreased compared to the peak levels of the 1970s.
At the beginning of the year, large-scale wildfires swept through California, USA, prompting a state of emergency to be declared in the state.