A forest fire in Japan has damaged dozens of buildings

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A forest fire in Japan broke out in Iwate Prefecture, where the densely forested Ofunato area is located. Firefighters tried to contain the fire as quickly as possible to prevent damage to buildings in the area. In the end, the flames burned at least 84 houses and buildings.

According to local authorities almost six hundred residents were evacuated in the Ofunato area. Mayor Ofunata described the forest fire as extensive, as the fire raged over an area of ​​six hundred hectares.

Fire investigators continue to investigate the cause of the fire which is unclear at this time. In 2023, 1,300 forest fires broke out in Japan between February and April. It is during this period that the conditions for the occurrence of fire are most favorable. The air here is dry and there is a strong wind. During this period there are also minimum precipitation totals which amount to only a few millimeters per month. This year the Ofunato area received just 2.5 mm of rain well below the record low of 4.4 mm in 1967.

The year 2024 was the hottest in Japan since records began and even here the increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and related climate change are in full force. The Iwate forest fire grew rapidly mainly due to strong winds blowing from the west. During February alone, firefighters in Japan had to fight a number of smaller forest fires but none of them caused as much damage as the fire in the Ofunato area.

Source:Straitstimes