In Japan, heavy rainfall has helped stop the spread of the country’s worst wildfire in over 50 years, bringing relief to thousands affected by the blaze near the northern city of Ofunato. The fire, which had been raging for over a week, has burned approximately 2,900 hectares, nearly half of the size of Manhattan. It has claimed one life and forced more than 4,500 residents to evacuate. The wildfire surpassed the 2,700-hectare fire that struck Hokkaido in 1975. The blaze was fueled by extreme drought conditions following Japan’s hottest summer on record.
A local fire official confirmed that aerial inspections showed no further expansion of the burned area. Rainfall, which began on Wednesday following an unusually dry period, had significantly aided firefighting efforts.
