Iwate Wildfire Enters 2nd Week; 2,600 Hectares Burned, 1,896 Households under Evacuation Orders

Jiji Press

10:03 JST, March 5, 2025

Morioka, Iwate Pref. (Jiji Press)—The ongoing wildfire in the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, which is the largest in Japan since the start of the Heisei era in 1989, entered its second week on Wednesday.

The wildfire has burned 2,600 hectares, and a total of 4,596 people from 1,896 households remain under evacuation orders. While strenuous firefighting efforts continue, local residents are exhausted from the long evacuation.

The wildfire started at around 1 p.m. on Feb. 26, according to the city government and other sources. It has burned at least 84 houses and other buildings, and the charred body of a man has been found.

The city had seen very little rain, with no precipitation of over 0.5 millimeters since Feb. 17. But some showers are expected Wednesday, according to the Morioka Local Meteorological Office. As a low-pressure system is moving northeast along the Pacific coast, rain and snow are likely through Thursday.

About 1,200 people are staying in 12 evacuation centers in Ofunato. “It’s exhausting as this place is tiny and there is no privacy,” evacuee Kazuyuki Sasaki, 44, said.

A 84-year-old woman in another shelter said, “I can’t relax thinking what might happen to my home.”

The Iwate prefectural government has secured 46 prefecture-run housing units in Ofunato and the nearby city of Rikuzentakata, and is also coordinating to build temporary housing.