Over 4,300 people evacuated from the wildfires in Ofunato, Iwate, Japan. “On-Scene Photos” of Tense and Fearful Situations

In Reiwa, Japan, forest fires broke out frequently.
Fire was finally extinguished after 12 days
The cause of the fire was “abnormal weather.

When the fire broke out, we thought it would be contained quickly. However, the fire quickly grew in intensity, and sirens and announcements about the spread of the fire were blaring so loudly that they could be heard even inside stores in the town. As time went on, I became more and more anxious.

That day, I was standing in the kitchen of the restaurant cooking as usual, but when I saw the mountain of smoke rising from the window, I knew it was no longer the time to be working. About 50 people, including families and the elderly, evacuated one after another to an evacuation center right in front of the restaurant, bringing food and spare clothes.

Noriyuki Kikuchi, owner of “Restaurant Sanpei” in Sanriku-cho, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, is still providing meals to the evacuees.

On February 26, the “worst wildfire since the Heisei era” broke out in Akasaki Town, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, burning 2,900 hectares (9% of Ofunato City) and more than 200 buildings over a 12-day period, forcing the evacuation of over 4,300 people. Why did the damage spread so widely?

Why did the damage spread so far? Weather forecaster Koshi Murayama explains, “The weather conditions were such that the fire could easily spread.

Since December of last year, a winter pressure pattern has been strengthening, and very little rain has been observed in Iwate Prefecture. Ofunato City received 20 mm of rainfall in January this year, 39% of the normal amount, and only 2.5 mm in February, about 6% of the normal amount. The air was parched and dry, and tree branches and leaves were more flammable than usual.

Furthermore, from around February 25 to 27, there was a strong wind with a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 17 to 18 m/s in Ofunato City. The strong winds carried the sparks of the fire far and wide, allowing it to spread.”

Abnormal weather conditions in the Japanese archipelago also contributed to the spread of the fire.

Professor Yoshihiro Tachibana of Mie University, an expert on climate change, points out that “abnormal weather conditions” were behind the outbreak of the huge wildfires.

In winter, snow clouds come from the Sea of Japan side over the mountains to the Pacific side. However, this year’s heavy snowfall on the Sea of Japan side drained out all the moisture, and the snow clouds disappeared. As a result, dry air entered the Pacific Ocean side.

The effect of the sea water temperature off Sanriku, which has risen 6°C above normal since ’23 and recorded the largest figure in observation history, was also significant. The strong winds were created by the increased pressure difference between the cold air of the cold wave and the warm air of the sea.

The wildfires this time were created by the combination of the dryness brought by the heavy snowfall on the Sea of Japan side and the strong winds caused by the significant rise in sea water temperatures.”