Northern Japan was struck by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake, followed by forest fires that prompted evacuations

A preliminary 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan early today, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or damage, the US Geological Survey said.

The earthquake occurred at 5:24 a.m., 18 kilometers west of the small town of Sarabetsu in Hokkaido, and at a depth of 81 kilometers.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake off northern Japan last Monday prompted a short-term tsunami warning and a warning of a slight increase in the risk of a possible massive earthquake in coastal areas.

The warning led to widespread evacuation orders affecting about 170,000 people.

Fires are still burning in the north

The latest earthquake came after Japan deployed 1,400 firefighters and dozens of members of the Self-Defense Forces to combat mountain fires that have been raging in the north for five days and threaten to reach homes in the coastal town of Otsuchi.

Due to dry and windy weather, two more fires broke out elsewhere in the north on Sunday.

A helicopter conducts firefighting operations in Otsuchi. (Reuters: Kim Kyung-hoon)

One is in Kitakata City and the other is in Nagaoka, which could stretch firefighting resources thin as local authorities send personnel ⁠ to nearby areas.

The area burned by the Otsuchi fires had expanded to 1,373 hectares as of Sunday morning, an increase of 7 percent from the previous day.

Residents were forced to evacuate

Fires threaten residential areas in Otsuchi on the Pacific coast, a town that lost nearly a tenth of its population in one of Japan’s worst disasters, the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Authorities expanded evacuation orders to include 1,558 families or 3,257 residents by Sunday evening, nearly a third of Otsuchi’s population.

“Even though the Self-Defense Forces are fighting fires from the sky [with helicopters]Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano said in a press conference that dry weather and winds are helping the fires expand.

The area burned by the Otsuchi fires expanded to 1,373 hectares yesterday morning. (Reuters: Kim Kyung-hoon)

Some residents used hoses to spray water on their homes and surrounding foliage, hoping to keep the flames away.

Resident Shigeki Fujiwara (67 years old) said, “I am ready to evacuate in my car at any time. The fire will not be able to catch up with us because it does not move at the speed of a tsunami.”

Flames could be seen shooting up the mountain from his home, and while his family had already been evacuated, he said he chose to stay because he was worried about the house.

The cause of the fire is under investigation

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on its website that the only casualty so far was a minor injury sustained by a person when he fell into an evacuation center.

Climate change has increased the frequency of forest fires in Japan. (Reuters: Kim Kyung-hoon)

Rain is expected in some parts of the southern coastal area of ​​Iwate Prefecture, where Otsuchi is located, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The cause of the Otsuchi fires is unclear and is under investigation.

While Japan has seen relatively few forest fires compared to other parts of the world, climate change has increased their frequency, especially since the early spring months before the wet rainy season are hot, dry and windy can fan fires.

AFP/Reuters

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