山林火災、鎮火を宣言　発生から４０日―岩手・大船渡

　岩手県大船渡市は７日、２月２６日に発生した山林火災について、再燃の恐れがなくなったとして、鎮火を宣言した。市は先月９日に鎮圧を宣言し、翌１０日に避難指示を全面解除したが、住宅被害に遭った１９４人が現在も避難所や親戚宅での生活を余儀なくされている。
　市や消防によると、今月に入って行われた地上や上空からの調査で熱源などは確認されず、鎮火の判断に至ったという。
　渕上清市長は７日の記者会見で、「被災された方々の暮らしの再建となりわいの再生を最優先に取り組んでいきたい」と述べた。同席した大船渡消防署の新沼晃署長は、鎮圧から鎮火までに時間を要した理由について「延焼が広範囲にわたったため」などと話した。（2025/04/07-19:12）

The city of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture has declared that a massive forest fire that had been ravaging the northeastern Japan city since Feb. 26 has been extinguished.
   The city said Monday that there was no longer a risk of the fire breaking out again, after finding no heat sources during checks from the ground and from the air this month.
   It said on March 9 that the blaze has been contained and fully lifted related evacuation orders the following day, but some 194 people whose homes were affected by flames still live in evacuation centers or at relatives' homes.
   "We will give top priority to rebuilding the lives of the people affected by the disaster and reviving their livelihoods," Ofunato Mayor Kiyoshi Fuchigami said at a press conference Monday.
   Akira Niinuma, chief of the Ofunato fire department, told the press conference that it took time to extinguish the fire after containing it because "the fire spread over a wide area."