Forest fires have broken out in Ofunato City in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Iwate and have yet to be contained. City officials say at least 84 houses and other buildings have been damaged.

Police say the blazes started on Wednesday afternoon, and are spreading in districts including Attari of Akasakicho, and Koji and Tahama of Sanrikucho Ryori.

The flames had reportedly burned an area of more than 600 hectares as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Ofunato authorities issued an evacuation order for 2,060 people in 850 households in all areas in Sanrikucho Ryori and 54 people in 23 households in the Attari district.

The city says that as of 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, 584 people had taken shelter in evacuation centers it set up.

An 82-year-old woman, who lives alone in the Koji district, said she went outside at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday as she felt something was wrong, and she saw grass was on fire in a nearby field.

She said she fled after putting her medicine and her late husband's mortuary tablet in a backpack. She saw smoke rising from her house and realized she would have died if she had stayed in her home.

A 67-year-old resident of the Ishihama district said it appeared to be a small fire at first, but she evacuated when she saw flames outside her house. She added she could not sleep at all and she was scared. A 78-year-old man, who lives nearby, said he had moved to an evacuation shelter but could not sleep, so he came to see the situation. He said he hopes the fires will be tackled quickly.

Police and firefighters are checking to see if there are any people with injuries or who have remained in place.

Firefighting efforts are ongoing around residential areas. Self-Defense Forces helicopters began aerial water drops early on Thursday.

NHK footage shows flames and white smoke in the forest about 500 meters from houses and facilities in Sanrikucho Ryori.

Police are restricting traffic to keep people away.Dry air advisories have been issued for the southern coast of Iwate Prefecture since February 18.

In Tahama district, a forest fire broke out at another location nearby on February 19. Firefighters announced on Tuesday that the blaze had been brought under control.

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