Thousands evacuated as wildfires continue to spread in western Japan

Tokyo: Firefighters in western Japan are continuing their efforts to extinguish forest fires that broke out in Okayama and Ehime prefectures, forcing around 2,800 people to evacuate their homes, amid growing fears that the flames could spread to other residential areas.

Aerial footage showed Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters participating in the firefighting efforts, according to Kyodo News.

The fires, which broke out on Sunday, burned about 250 hectares of land in the cities of Okayama and Tamano, while the fires in Ehime had consumed 119 hectares in Imabari by this morning.

Although no injuries have been reported so far, local authorities reported the burning of several homes in Okayama Prefecture. Emergency teams are continuing to assess the damage and take additional measures to protect residents and prevent the situation from worsening.

Japan regularly suffers from forest fires, especially during dry seasons with strong winds. The climatic factors and mountainous terrain make fires spread quickly and are difficult to control.