Japan's Okayama wildfire expands, no containment in sight

The wildfire in Okayama City has continued to burn for the fourth consecutive day, with no signs of containment as of Wednesday, local media reported.

The affected area has expanded to approximately 546 hectares, making it the largest forest fire ever recorded in Okayama Prefecture, according to national broadcaster NHK.

As of 2:00 pm local time, the fire, which started on March 23, had extended across Okayama City's Minami Ward and Tamano City, surpassing previous wildfire records in the prefecture.

While six buildings, including houses and warehouses, have been damaged, no injuries have been reported.

In the evening, authorities confirmed smoke rising from 30 to 40 locations within the affected mountainous area. As a precaution, Okayama City and Tamano City have issued evacuation orders for several districts.

Firefighters are working through the night to prevent the flames from reaching residential areas, said the report.