More than 1,200 evacuated as Japan forest fire continues to burn

A forest fire, which started last Wednesday, continues to spread behind houses in Ofunato, northern Japan (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan is fighting a forest fire that has damaged dozens of homes and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate in a north-eastern coastal city.

The fire has burned about 2,100 hectares (5,190 acres) of forest in Ofunato since it started on Wednesday, according to the country’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The agency said at least 84 homes have been damaged, and over 1,200 people evacuated.

This aerial photo shows a forest fire in Ofunato city, Iwate prefecture, northern Japan (Kyodo News via AP)

The fire has subsided in some areas.

More than 2,000 troops and and firefighters have been deployed from across the country.

A man was found dead on a road on Thursday, and authorities are examining if the death was linked to the fire, the agency said.

The north-eastern regions, including Ofunato, have had their driest winter since 1946, when the Japan Meteorological Agency started collecting data.