1 dead, over 80 homes lost as wildfire spreads in northeast Japan

One person has died, and more than 80 homes appear to have burned down after a wildfire broke out in a northeastern Japan city, local authorities said Thursday, as the region faced its third fire in about a week.Since Wednesday, the blaze has scorched more than 600 hectares in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, the municipal government said. With the fire still spreading, about 3,300 residents have been ordered to evacuate.Firefighters battled the blaze through the night, while Self-Defense Forces helicopters were deployed in the morning to contain it from the air.The Fire and Disaster Management A…READ FULL ARTICLE