Firefighters battle deadly blaze in northeastern Japan
The fire has already destroyed 84 buildings, the agency said, adding that at least one person has died: a male of unknown age.
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A wildfire in northeastern Japan that ignited Wednesday has burned more than 6,420 acres as of Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency/X)
March 4 (UPI) -- Firefighters are battling a blaze in northeastern Japan that has damaged dozens of homes, burned thousands of acres and killed at least one person, officials on Tuesday said.
The wildfire ignited shortly after 1 p.m. local time Wednesday within the Aza-ashidachi area of Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, and has grown to some 6,424 acres as of Tuesday, Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in an update.
The cause of the fire is unknown, and the blaze has prompted the evacuation of nearly 4,600 people from 1,896 households in 17 districts of Ofunato City.
The fire has already destroyed 84 buildings, the agency said, adding that at least one person has died: a male of unknown age.
Numerous resources have been deployed from across the country to battle the fire, according to the update.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday expressed this sympathies to victims of the fire, while ordering the Ministry of Defense to deploy the necessary troops to suppress the fire.
"This incident is a large-scale fire that has a significant impact on residents' lives," he said. "I would like to ask all ministers and the government to do their best to respond to this this matter, which must be dealt with as a disaster."
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