Devouring 700 hectares…wide fires sweep through northern Japan and thousands of residents are evacuated

According to an official statement, the fires that broke out three days ago in the mountainous areas of Iwate Prefecture had, as of Saturday morning, spread over an area estimated at about 700 hectares.

Forest fires in Japan

Thick columns of smoke were seen rising in one of the valleys near the town of Otsuchi, where the smell of the fire spread. For a distance of up to 30 kilometers, while two helicopters participated in throwing water over the burning forests.

In the same town, firefighting teams worked to contain the fire and prevent it from reaching the threatened homes, while the authorities confirmed that at least eight buildings burned, despite their residents being evacuated in advance.

Suppression efforts are scheduled to be strengthened by deploying about 12 helicopters and more than 1,300 firefighters, in addition to members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to assist. In containing the fire.

Climate change

A local official in Iwate told Agence France-Presse: “We are doing everything in our power to control the fires, and we will announce any developments later today,” while a resident of Otsuchi expressed in a statement to the NHK authority his hope for rainfall to help extinguish the fires.

These fires come in light of increasing fears of the effects of climate change, as winters have contributed more Drought increases the risk of forest fires. A fire that broke out in the city of Ofunato in the same region early last year was considered the worst in Japan in more than fifty years.

Scientists have been warning for years that climate change resulting from reliance on fossil fuels will lead to longer and more severe droughts, creating an ideal environment for forest fires to break out and expand in scope.