Firefighters are struggling to contain a forest fire that continues raging in multiple locations in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Iwate. At least 10 houses have reportedly been damaged.



Police say the blaze is spreading in some areas of Ofunato City. In the Tahama district, the fire is burning near the site where a wildfire occurred last Wednesday but was later reportedly brought under control.



The police confirmed that flames affected ten houses in the city's Sanriku and Akasaki towns.



The city says the fire has burned more than 600 hectares as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday.



City officials issued an evacuation order for 2,060 residents in the entire Ryori area of Sanriku and 54 people in Akasaki's Attari district.



The officials say that, as of 7 p.m., a total of 526 people have fled to shelters.



Weather authorities have been issuing dry air advisories for the southern coast of Iwate Prefecture since Tuesday last week.



A strong wind advisory was also put in place on Wednesday. A maximum instantaneous wind speed of about 65 kilometers per hour was observed in Ofunato City around 1:30 p.m.