According to multiple reports, the evacuation orders cover areas in the Iwate region, where the fires have been burning for about two days. Local authorities said the flames are now approaching the city of Otsuchi. The cause of the wildfires remains unknown, and it is unclear whether any injuries or fatalities have occurred. Officials have not confirmed the number of structures damaged or destroyed, nor the current containment status.
The increasingly dry winters in the area are assessed to have heightened the risk of wildfires, major media outlets reported. Last year, a fire that broke out around the city of Ofunato in Iwate was the worst in Japan in over half a century, according to AFP.