Largest Wildfire In 30 Years Burns 3,000 Acres In Northern Japan; 0.1" Of Rain In Area Of Fire In February
More than a thousand people have been evacuated as Japan battles its largest wildfire in more than three decades. The flames are estimated to have spread over about 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) in the forest of Ofunato in the northern region of Iwate since a fire broke out on Wednesday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
“We’re still examining the size of the affected area, but it is the biggest since the 1992 wildfire [in Kushiro, Hokkaido],” an agency spokeperson said.
That fire burned 1,030 hectares, the previous record. About 1,700 firefighters were being mobilised from across the country, the agency said.
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Ofunato has had only 2.5mm (0.1 inches) of rain in February – far below the previous record low for February of 4.4mm in 1967. Last year was Japan’s hottest since records began, mirroring other countries as ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions fuel the climate crisis.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/01/japan-battles-largest-wildfire-in-decades