A wildfire in the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, entered its seventh day Wednesday, as authorities say that they have finally begun to bring the blaze under control.
The fire had burned about 1,633 hectares as of Tuesday morning, according to prefectural officials, making it the second-largest wildfire in Japan since the start of the Heisei era in 1989, after a fire in the nearby city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, last year.
While there is still no clear timeline for full containment, the town lifted evacuation orders in most areas on Wednesday, after assessing there is no longer a fear of further damage.
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