MATSUYAMA,JAPAN, Mar 24 (Kyodo/APP): Firefighting efforts continued Monday against wildfires in two western Japan prefectures, with local governments at one point ordering a total of more than 3,000 residents to evacuate.
The Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed 14 helicopters to spray water over the blazes and to engage in other disaster relief efforts, responding to requests from Okayama and Ehime prefectures made the previous day.
In Okayama Prefecture, the fire has burned a total of 250 hectares of land in the cities of Okayama and Tamano, with some vacant houses and warehouses affected.
The fire in Ehime, a nearby prefecture the other side of an inland sea, has engulfed over 140 hectares in Imabari, disrupting traffic. Power supplies were temporarily cut for some households to ensure the safety of firefighting efforts.
The outbreak of both fires was confirmed Sunday afternoon and efforts to bring the fire under control have continued through the night.
The latest blazes came after a massive wildfire in Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, erupted in late February, burning around 3,000 hectares of the city over 12 days before it was brought under control.