A forest fire breaks out and spreads in the afternoon of Feb. 26 in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture. (Video by Kazuhiro Ichikawa)

Photo/Illutration Flames glow in the background of the Ryori district in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, at 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 26. (Junichi Obata)

OFUNATO, Iwate Prefecture—Firefighters on the morning of Feb. 27 continued battling the latest forest fire here that has spread to several locations and damaged or destroyed dozens of buildings.

The mountain fire, the third to hit Ofunato this month, broke out in the city’s Akasakicho area at around 1 p.m. on Feb. 26.

A badly burned body was found in the Koji district in Sanrikucho, Ofunato. Iwate prefectural police were working on identifying the body and determining the cause of death. 

More than 2,000 residents were ordered to evacuate in the coastal city in the northeastern Tohoku region.

The fire damaged at least 84 buildings and scorched more than 600 hectares of land, the prefecture and other sources said on the evening of Feb. 26.

Strong winds fanned the flames and made it impossible for helicopters to release water on the fire on Feb. 26.

The winds subsided the following morning, and helicopters of the Self-Defense Forces started to dump water.

An Ofunato city official said the fire has reached at least five areas.

The city issued evacuation orders to 2,114 residents from 873 households in the Attari and Ryori districts on the evening of Feb. 26.

As of 7 a.m. on Feb. 27, seven evacuation centers were accommodating 540 people who sought refuge, according to the city.

At Okirai Elementary School, where about 150 evacuees were staying, public health nurses provided health checks and cardboard beds to those who wanted them.

Outside of the evacuation centers, many residents spent the night at friends’ homes or in their cars.

One man with binoculars who was watching smoke rising from various places on a mountain overlooking Ryori Bay said he took refuge at a friend’s home, bringing only his medicine and a change of underwear.

“It’s about 50 meters away (from my house),” he said anxiously. “I can see the fire from under the smoke.”

An 80-year-old man who lives alone fled to a beach and slept in his car.

“I was surprised it burned so much,” he said. “It happened so quickly. I’m worried about my friends.”

Iwate Prefecture established a disaster response headquarters at 3:50 p.m. on Feb. 26, and the Disaster Relief Law has been applied to this fire.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a dry weather warning has been in effect since Feb. 18 in the area of the fire. Ofunato has also experienced strong winds, including a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 65 kph.

The first in the series of forest fires to hit the city started in the Ryori district on Feb. 19, burning about 324 hectares. It was extinguished on Feb. 25.

But also on Feb. 25, another forest fire started and spread across Ofunato and neighboring Rikuzentakata city.

Shortly after this fire was doused on Feb. 26, the latest fire broke out.

The first and third fires have overlapped some areas.

In the Tahama district of Ofunato, where an evacuation order was issued for the first fire, houses have been confirmed burned down.

(This article was written by Masakazu Higashino, Hana Matsuo and Erina Ito.)

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