THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
March 3, 2025 at 14:00 JST
OFUNATO, Iwate Prefecture—A destructive and deadly wildfire entered its sixth day here, and authorities said there is still no end in sight.
The forest fire has burned about 2,100 hectares, up about 300 hectares from the previous day, razed dozens of buildings and killed one person since it started Feb. 26.
Although firefighters are battling the blaze, it was still spreading among forested mountainous areas of this city along the Pacific coast on March 3.
City offiocials said they confirmed that a building was on fire in a previously unaffected district of Ofunato on the morning of March 3.
An evacuation advisory has been issued for 4,596 residents from 1,896 households.
About 1,200 people have taken refuge at elementary school gymnasiums and other evacuation centers. Many others are seeking shelter at homes of relatives and friends.
“The fire has a significant force,” Ofunato Mayor Kiyoshi Fuchigami told a news conference on March 2. “We are concerned that it will further spread.”
Emergency workers continued efforts to contain the fire on March 3, both on the ground and from the air using more than 10 helicopters of the Self-Defense Forces and other organizations.
The Morioka Local Meteorological Office has issued a dry weather advisory for the southern coastal part of Iwate Prefecture, including the site of the fire, for 14 consecutive days from Feb. 18.
A sunny day has been forecast for the Ofunato area, with maximum wind speeds of 14.4 kph on the ground.
Wildfires have hit other parts of Japan.
A mountain fire in Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, was brought under control on March 2, while another was still burning in Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture as of the afternoon of March 2.
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A helicopter of the Self-Defense Forces pours water on a mountain fire in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, on March 3. (Takeshi Komiya)
