Increased Firefighter Support Needed for Iwate Wildfire Response
Japan’s disaster management agency calls for more firefighters to battle a wildfire in Iwate’s Ofunato, bringing the total to nearly 1,700. The fire has burned around 1,800 hectares and prompted evacuation orders for 4,600 residents. Aerial support is assisting ground efforts to protect residential areas.
In response to a persistent forest fire in Iwate’s Ofunato, Japan’s disaster management agency has called for additional firefighters nationwide to combat the blaze. Nearly 1,700 firefighters from approximately 450 fire departments are already engaged in firefighting efforts that have been ongoing for five days since the fire began on Wednesday.
The agency has requested firefighters from Hokkaido and Yokohama city to assist in the operations in Ofunato. Aerial support, including helicopters from the Self-Defense Forces, is helping firefighters keep the flames away from residential areas along the Pacific coast.
As of Sunday, the fire has consumed about 1,800 hectares of land, an increase of 400 hectares from the previous day. Evacuation orders have been issued for approximately 4,600 residents, with over 1,200 individuals taking refuge in shelters as of Sunday morning.
The forest fire in Ofunato, Japan, has prompted a nationwide response with nearly 1,700 firefighters involved. As the blaze expands, additional support is being requested from neighboring regions. With significant land burned and numerous residents evacuated, efforts continue to protect inhabited areas from the fire’s advance.
Original Source: english.kyodonews.net
