Wildfires in Japan’s north worsen, 1,400 firefighters deployed

Japan's wildfire crisis in the northern coastal town of Otsuchi has escalated dramatically, with authorities deploying 1,400 firefighters and Self-Defence Force personnel to contain blazes that have raged for five days. The fires have scorched 1,373 hectares (3,393 acres) as of Sunday morning, expanding 7% from the previous day. Two additional wildfires broke out on Sunday in Kitakata city and Nagaoka, straining firefighting resources as local teams are dispatched to neighboring areas. The dry, windy weather has hindered aerial firefighting efforts by helicopters, according to Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano.

Residential districts of Otsuchi, a town that lost nearly 10% of its population in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, are now at risk. Evacuation orders have been expanded to 1,558 households (3,257 residents) — roughly one-third of the town's population. Some residents are using hosepipes to spray water on their homes and surrounding foliage in a desperate attempt to keep flames at bay. Japan, which has historically experienced relatively few wildfires compared to other regions, is seeing an increase in frequency due to climate change, making this event particularly significant for the region's disaster preparedness and response systems.