About 2,900 Hectares Destroyed
Largest Damage Area Since 1989
A large wildfire that occurred in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, in the northeastern part of Honshu, Japan, was extinguished after 11 days.
A large wildfire that occurred on the 26th of last month in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, located in the northeastern part of Honshu, Japan. Photo by AP and Yonhap News.
According to Kyodo News and Asahi Shimbun on the 9th, the Ofunato city authorities announced that the large-scale wildfire, which started on the 26th of last month, was extinguished on this day.
In Japan, regarding fires, "extinguishing" means that there is no longer a risk of the fire spreading. When the possibility of the fire reigniting disappears, it is called "putting out."
Despite the announcement of fire extinguishment, the city authorities have not lifted the evacuation orders for 979 households and 2,424 people. NHK reported that the evacuation orders are expected to be completely lifted around noon on the 10th.
Due to this wildfire, approximately 2,900 hectares, equivalent to 9% of Ofunato City's area, were destroyed, and about 210 buildings, including houses, were damaged. The number of evacuees once reached about 4,600. Japanese media reported that the damage area from this wildfire is the largest since 1989.
The fire area had a dry atmosphere due to low winter precipitation, but the fire was extinguished after snow and rain fell on the 5th and 6th of this month.
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