Japan's worst wildfire in more than half a century, which killed at least one person, has been brought under control, the mayor of the northern city of Ofunato said on Sunday.

Rain appears to have halted the spread of Japan's worst wildfire in more than half a century, officials said Thursday, as residents expressed relief the smoke was gone.

Japan partially lifted wildfire evacuation orders on Friday after rain helped stop the country's worst blaze in more than half a century from spreading. The fire had raged in the mountains around the city of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture for over a week, killing one person and forcing more than 4,200 residents to flee their homes.

Unseasonable drier weather may be making the country more vulnerable to fires by leaving forests parched. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Japan battled its worst wildfire in half a century on Wednesday in a region hit by record-low rainfall, as wet weather gave hope for some relief.

Japan's worst wildfire in more than half a century, which killed at least one person, has been brought under control, the mayor of the northern city of Ofunato said on Sunday. The fire had raged in the mountains around the rural region since February 26,

Japan battled its worst wildfire in half a century Wednesday in a region hit by record-low rainfall, as wet weather gave hope for some relief.