A forest fire in northeastern Japan has burned the largest area of land in over 30 years.

Axar.az informs that the Kyodo news agency reported this.

The blaze has spread across at least 1,200 hectares in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, over the past three days, local authorities said. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government has intensified efforts to contain the damage.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, it has exceeded the previous record of 1,030 hectares in Kushiro, Hokkaido, set in 1992, making it the largest forest fire since the Heisei era (1989-2019).

Since the wildfire began Wednesday, one person has died, and over 80 homes have been destroyed, local authorities confirmed.

The number of helicopters battling the fire has risen to more than 15, including an increase in larger SDF aircraft, which are better suited for water drops.

The agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has also requested emergency aid from local governments, including Gunma, Saitama, and Tokyo, raising the number of responding prefectures to over 10.