Firefighters were Tuesday battling Japan's worst wildfire in half a century, which has left one dead and forced the evacuation of nearly 4,000 local residents.

The fire, in a forested area of the coastal city of Ofunato, killed at least one person and prompted evacuation orders for thousands of residents.

A massive wildfire has devastated Ofunato in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture, damaging over 80 buildings and forcing mass evacuations. Military helicopters have been deployed to combat the raging flames, as thick smoke engulfs the mountainous region.