Some 2,000 people told to evacuate in Japan wildfire

Tokyo: More than 80 homes appear to have burned down and some 2,000 people have been ordered to evacuate after a wildfire broke out in a northeastern Japan city, local authorities said today, as the region was hit by its third fire in around a week.

The blaze since yesterday has burned across 600 hectares of land in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, the municipal government said.

Firefighting efforts continued through the night, while Self-Defence Forces helicopters were mobilized in the morning to contain the fire from the air, Japan news agency (Kyodo) said.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency called for the emergency support of 680 personnel from firefighting departments in six nearby prefectures.

According to local authorities, 500 homes in Ofunato were without power. A section of a train line in the city was also suspended.