Japan Deploys 1,400 Firefighters to Battle Wildfires in the North

Reuters

Japan wildfires.

Japan has deployed 1,400 firefighters and 100 Self-Defense Force personnel to battle mountain blazes in the northern part of the country, with the fires, ‌now burning on Sunday for a fifth straight day, continuing to threaten a picturesque coastal town.

The area consumed by the fires reached 1,373 hectares (3,393 acres) as of early Sunday morning, up 7% from a day earlier.

The fires threaten residential districts of Otsuchi ⁠on the Pacific Coast - a town that lost nearly a tenth of its population in one of Japan's worst disasters, the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Evacuation orders are in place for 1,541 households or 3,233 residents, roughly a third of Otsuchi's population.

"Although the Self-Defence Forces are fighting the fires from the sky (with helicopters), the dry weather and winds are helping the fires expand," Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano told ‌a ⁠press conference.

The first blaze broke out on Wednesday in a mountainous area, followed by a second nearby fire that began threatening homes. Authorities have issued evacuation orders for 1,541 households, affecting more than 3,200 residents, roughly a third of the town’s population.

Difficult terrain, dry conditions and strong winds are hampering containment efforts, officials said, with helicopters from multiple prefectures and the Japan Self-Defense Forces deployed to support firefighting operations.

The only casualty to date has been one minor injury suffered when a person fell at an evacuation centre, ⁠Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on its website.

No rain is expected in the region on Sunday or Monday, but a ⁠brief shower is forecast on Tuesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The cause of the fires is unclear and under investigation.

While wildfires have historically been less common in Japan compared with other regions, officials warn that climate change is increasing their frequency and intensity.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said no rain is forecast in the coming week, raising concerns that the fires could continue to spread.

According to official data, the current fires rank among the largest on record, surpassed only by a major blaze in Ofunato in 2025 and the Kushiro wildfire in 1992.

The unfolding crisis has revived painful memories in Otsuchi, which lost nearly a tenth of its population during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Source: Reuters, Anewz



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