Forest Fire in Iwate Pref. Forces Evacuation of More Than 500 People, in Area Hit by 2011 Tsunami

OFUNATO, Iwate — A wildfire in a forest in the Akasaki area of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, continued to rage on Thursday, having burned an area of at least 600 hectares, according to the prefectural and city governments. More than 80 houses and other buildings have been damaged by the fire.