Japan evacuates thousands as hundreds of firefighters battle wildfires
The affected area includes a coastal town that lost almost a tenth of its population during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami
Hundreds of firefighters were battling wildfires in the forests of northern Japan on Saturday, as authorities urged more than 3,200 people to evacuate their homes, government officials said.
As of Saturday morning, blazes in the mountainous areas of Iwate region had burned about 700 hectares (1,730 acres) since breaking out three days ago, local government officials said in a statement.
A large column of smoke, which could be smelled 30km (20 miles) away, was seen rising up the valley near the coastal town of Otsuchi as two helicopters dropped water on the burning forest.
There were evacuation orders covering 1,541 households and 3,233 people – about a third of Otsuchi’s population.
Fire engines were spraying the forest near homes close to the fire.
Wildfires spread in Northern Japan
Otsuchi is scarred by the memory of one of Japan’s worst disasters, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, when it lost nearly a tenth of its population.