Forest fire north of Tokyo put out after 3 weeks, burns 106 hectares

A forest fire that broke out in late February on a mountain north of Tokyo has finally been extinguished after scorching about 106 hectares, the local government said Monday.With firefighters pointing to the possibility of a hiker's having caused the fire in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, Mayor Satoshi Izumi said in a press conference he hopes to implement measures such as "regulations which will prevent people from smoking on mountains."The fire did not cause any injuries or damage to local houses.Given serious consequences residents could suffer if the fire flares up again, Izumi said he m…READ FULL ARTICLE