Japan fights largest wildfire in over 30 years

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 14:39

The fire, which ignited on Wednesday, has spread across approximately 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of forest in Ofunato, located in the northern Iwate region.

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A helicopter is pictured as smoke rises due to a wildfire on a mountainside near the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, on February 28, 2025 (JIJI PRESS/AFP)

Japan is battling its largest wildfire in over three decades, one of several blazes that have claimed one life and forced the evacuation of more than a thousand residents.

The fire, which ignited on Wednesday, has spread across approximately 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of forest in Ofunato, located in the northern Iwate region, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

"We're still examining the size of the affected area, but it is the biggest since the 1992 wildfire" in Kushiro, Hokkaido, an agency spokesman told AFP. That fire, previously the country's most extensive, scorched 1,030 hectares.

In response, around 1,700 firefighters have been deployed nationwide to contain the flames, the agency confirmed.

Aerial footage from public broadcaster NHK showed thick white smoke engulfing an entire mountain. Local authorities confirmed that police discovered the body of a burned victim on Thursday.

More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated, and over 80 buildings were damaged as of Friday, according to the Ofunato municipal government. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Meanwhile, two other wildfires were burning on Saturday—one in Yamanashi and another elsewhere in Iwate.

Japan recorded approximately 1,300 wildfires in 2023, primarily between February and April, when dry air and strong winds create favorable conditions for fires. However, the overall number of wildfires has declined since their peak in the 1970s, according to government data.

Ofunato has received just 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) of rainfall this month, putting it on track to fall well below the previous February record low of 4.4 millimeters, set in 1967.

Last year was Japan's hottest since record-keeping began, in line with global trends as rising greenhouse gas emissions continue to drive climate change.