Japan hit by earthquake as forest fire breaks out in the north

Stephen J. By Bose, Chief International Correspondent of Worthy News

Tokyo(meaningful news) – A part of northern Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake, while more than 1,600 hectares of forest were burning in other parts of the region as of Monday morning, officials and witnesses said.

The inland quake struck at a depth of 81 kilometers (50 mi) 18 kilometers (11 mi) west of the small city of Sarabetsu on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It measured the quake’s magnitude at 6.1, slightly lower than Japanese agencies.

A week earlier, a magnitude 7.7 offshore earthquake prompted Japan to issue an advisory of a slightly higher risk of a possible megaquake for the country’s northeastern coastal areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Monday’s earthquake was outside the area under a megaquake advisory and the special awareness week is scheduled to end as planned.

earthquake and warning

Yet the attempted assurances brought no relief to residents of the northeastern city of Otsuchi, where volunteer firefighter Ryota Haga struggled to help contain a wildfire that burned more than 1,600 hectares.

This was not his first major tragedy. Haga recalled that he was in high school when the largest earthquake ever to hit Japan in March 2011 caused a deadly tsunami and swept away his family home in Otsuchi.

Now 31, with a wife and child, the volunteer firefighter faces another natural disaster. “It’s been 15 years since the (Great East Japan) earthquake and our lives are finally starting to settle down,” Haga told Reuters news agency after battling the fire on Sunday.

Otsuchi was one of the worst-hit coastal towns in 2011, when a tsunami about 10 meters (33 ft) high struck the small fishing community. About 1,300 residents – about one tenth of its population – were killed, including its mayor.

the fire spread

The scale of the current fire is unlike anything Haaga has experienced, he said. About 1,400 firefighters and dozens of Self-Defense Force personnel have been deployed so far, despite a forecast of sporadic rain on Monday, with no immediate prospects of bringing the blaze under control.

While Japan has experienced relatively few large-scale wildfires compared to other parts of the world, some observers say climate change has increased their frequency.

The early months of spring, before the sultry rainy season, are reportedly unusually hot, dry and windy – conditions that can rapidly spread flames. However, skeptics have also linked increasing human numbers to factors such as urbanization and land use change.

On Sunday, another wildfire broke out in Japan’s northeastern region of Fukushima, sparking growing concerns among officials.

pressure on crew

For Haga, the increase in wildfires exacerbates a long-term concern: a severe shortage of firefighters as Japan’s population declines and ages. His brigade is already below the staffing level set by authorities.

“If I’m 50 or 60 and there’s a forest fire and I’m left gasping for breath trying to fight it, I don’t think we’ll be able to stop it,” he said.

Still, Haaga is hopeful that the firefighters’ determination to protect their community will not be in vain.

“The next generation can be inspired to join the volunteer fire brigade,” he said.

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