Japan deploys 1,400 firefighters to battle raging wildfires in the north
Japan deploys 1,400 firefighters to battle raging wildfires in the north
Wildfires burn through forested hills in northern Japan for a sixth consecutive day, spreading across more than 1,600 hectares.
Some 1,400 firefighters and dozens of Self-Defense Force personnel have been deployed to battle the blaze from land and air, with helicopters dumping water amid dry conditions and strong winds.
The fires now threaten residential districts of Otsuchi, a coastal town still recovering from the devastation of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Evacuation orders affect over 3,000 residents – nearly a third of the town’s population – as authorities work to contain the advancing flames.
