A wildfire that broke out in the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, has been contained 11 days after it started, local authorities announced on Tuesday.
Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano declared the fire under control during a press conference at 1:00 p.m., following a morning inspection of the affected area. He stated that the risk of further spread had been eliminated.
The fire, which ignited on February 22 in two areas—Ozuchi and Kirikiri—scorched a combined area of 1,633 hectares and completely destroyed eight structures, including homes.
All evacuation orders have been lifted as of February 30 after it was determined that the flames no longer threatened residential areas.
The town will continue monitoring the site and extinguishing remaining hotspots to fully extinguish the fire.