Iwate Wildfires Spread to 1,370 Hectares

Morioka, Iwate Pref., April 27 (Jiji Press)–Wildfires in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate continued to spread, scorching about 1,370 hectares by 6 a.m. Sunday. The blazes in the town of Otsuchi have drawn roughly 1,500 local firefighters and other responders, but no containment is in sight, town officials said. Evacuation orders cover about 1,500 households, or roughly 3,200 residents, accounting for around 30 pct of the town’s population. As of 7 p.m. Sunday, around 200 people had taken shelter at seven evacuation centers. The town opened an additional shelter the same day, which allows evacuees to bring their pets. Fires in mountainous forest areas were first detected on Wednesday, with one reported around 1:50 p.m. in the town’s Kozuchi district and another around 4:30 p.m. in its Kirikiri district. Eight buildings, including homes, have been destroyed, according to the prefectural government. A woman in her 60s was injured after falling on stairs at an evacuation center. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]