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

The failure to extinguish the fire immediately also contributed to the spread of damage. Mitsuhiro Takeda, a former firefighter and representative of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, explains the difficulty of extinguishing fires in mountain forests.

The fire scene in Ofunato City has many steep slopes, making it difficult for fire pump trucks and heavy machinery to enter. Firefighters carrying backpacks that could hold only a few liters of water were used to extinguish the fires, but they could not apply large amounts of water at once, and it took a long time to extinguish the fires. We also used aerial firefighting from helicopters, but when the wind was strong, as it was this time, the water was dispersed, making it less effective,” said one firefighter.

In fact, the firefighters on the scene were exhausted.

In fact, the firefighters on the scene were exhausted. “Imagine charcoal from a barbecue. In the same way, no matter how much water is sprayed on burning trees, every time a strong wind blows, oxygen is supplied and the fire rekindles here and there. Firefighters on the scene lamented, ‘We don’t know where to start putting out the fires.

A huge wildfire could erupt anywhere at any time.

On the 10th, the day after the wildfire in Ofunato was declared under control, forest fires broke out in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, and Kawakami Village, Nara Prefecture. Professor Tachibana warned, “The dangerous situation will continue for some time.

The spring is the season when wildfires are most likely to occur, as the air remains dry from March to April and strong winds are likely to prevail. On the Pacific Ocean side, huge wildfires can erupt anywhere at any time. On the Sea of Japan side, too, we need to be vigilant once the snow melts and the air dries out.”

The future of several forests burning all over Japan is beginning to look more and more real.

From the March 28, 2025 issue of FRIDAY