Forest Fire in Ofunato, Iwate: Residents Return Home as Evacuation Orders Are Partially Lifted

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:09 JST, March 8, 2025

OFUNATO, Iwate — Residents expressed relief on Saturday after spending their first night back home following the partial lifting of evacuation orders that were issued due to a forest fire in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture.

On Friday, the city lifted evacuation orders for six districts in Ofunato’s Akasaki Town, affecting 415 households and 957 people — approximately 20% of residents evacuated under the original order — after determining there was no further risk of the fire spreading there.

A 78-year-old man who returned from a relative’s home said, “There’s nothing like the comfort of being at home.” His 74-year-old wife, while hanging laundry in their yard, expressed concern for others still unable to return, saying, “I hope those in the remaining evacuation areas can return home soon.”

On Saturday at 1:00 p.m., the city lifted evacuation orders for 141 households comprising 333 residents in three districts of the Sanriku area of Ofunato. For the remaining 1,340 households and 3,306 residents. the city is monitoring fire suppression efforts and will consider lifting more evacuation orders accordingly.

According to the prefectural government, as of 6 a.m. on Saturday, the burned area covered approximately 2,900 hectares and had not expanded since Wednesday.