Biggest Wildfire In Japan: Over Thousands Of People Already Evacuated!

Biggest Wildfire In Japan: Over Thousands Of People Evacuated

Japan is struggling to contain its largest wildfire in decades, with officials warning that the Ofunato fire on the nation's northeast coast will likely spread even more. The fire has already ravaged communities,  destroying dozens of homes and displacing thousands of residents.

Up to Monday, the fire had burned through about 2,100 hectares of land, destroying or damaging 84 houses. More than 1,200 residents had gone into temporary shelters like school gymnasiums, and another 2,000 had gone to friends or family members' homes for refuge.

One has reportedly died in the fire, with authorities finding a body on a road in Ofunato late last week.

That is Japan's biggest wildfire since 1975 when 2,700 hectares of land were consumed by fire in Kushiro in Hokkaido.

Experts believe that various factors have led to the rapid spread of the wildfire:

Unusually Dry Winter: Northeast Japan has experienced its driest winter since records began in 1946. Ofunato recorded only 2.5mm of rainfall in February, compared to an average of 41mm in previous years.

Since Friday, “there has been no rain — or very little, if any” in Ofunato, a local weather agency official said, adding that it may rain or snow on Wednesday, The Japan Times reported.

Strong Winds: High winds have helped the fire spread quickly across the mountainous and heavily forested region.

Highly Flammable Vegetation: Many of the trees in the area, particularly conifers, are extremely flammable, contributing to the wildfire’s rapid expansion.

Steep Terrain: The rugged landscape makes firefighting efforts challenging, as access to affected areas is limited.

More than 2,000 firefighters and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel have been deployed to contain the blaze. Ofunato’s mayor, Kiyoshi Fuchigami, has expressed concerns about the fire’s intensity and the potential for further destruction. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to mobilise as many resources as necessary to prevent further damage and protect homes.

However, relief may be on the horizon, with the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasting snowfall starting early Wednesday, followed by rain around noon. This could help dampen the flames and slow the fire’s progression.

The wildfire is the largest in Japan since the late 1980s, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Although the number of wildfires in Japan has tended to fall since the 1970s, there were about 1,300 fires in 2023, most of them between February and April—Japan's driest and windiest months.