Weather & Science
Japan Struggles to Contain Biggest Wildfire in Half a Century
- Blaze on northeast coast has affected 2,600 hectares of land
- Snow or rainfall on Wednesday may alleviate dry conditions
A Japan Self-Defense Forces helicopter attempts to extinguish a forest fire in a mountainous area in Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture on March 4.
Source: Kyodo News
This article is for subscribers only.
Japanese firefighters are struggling to contain a week-long wildfire on the country’s northeastern coast that has spread to become the worst the country has seen in half a century.
The blaze near Ofunato in Iwate prefecture had engulfed 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) as of Tuesday — close to half the area of Manhattan — and was continuing to grow, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, making it the biggest fire in Japan since 1975.