Japan wildfire burns largest area in over 30 years as blaze rages on

A forest fire in northeastern Japan has scorched the largest area of land in more than 30 years, the central government said Friday, as local firefighters and Self-Defense Forces struggle to control the blaze.The blaze has spread across at least 1,200 hectares in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, over the past three days, according to local authorities. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government has stepped up efforts to limit the damage.It has surpassed the previous record of 1,030 hectares in Kushiro, Hokkaido, set in 1992, making it the largest area affected by a forest fire since the Heisei er…READ FULL ARTICLE