OKAYAMA/MATSUYAMA, Ehime Prefecture – The massive wildfires that erupted on Sunday in Ehime and Okayama prefectures in western Japan have destroyed more than 900 hectares of land.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the fire in Imabari, Ehime had scorched 417 hectares, while the blaze in Okayama City swept through approximately 559 hectares.

In response, the Ehime prefectural government declared that Imabari and the neighboring city of Saijo are now eligible for disaster relief aid.

Evacuation orders were issued for 7,494 residents from 3,848 households in Imabari, while 2,133 residents from 1,091 households were evacuated in Okayama and the nearby city of Tamano.

Mount Kasamatsu in Ehime, one of the areas affected, last experienced a wildfire in 2008.

A local resident in his 70s remarked, “The area destroyed this time is larger than 17 years ago.”

TEXT AND PHOTO FROM JIJI PRESS