MORIOKA, Japan - Wildfires broke out Wednesday at two sites in the same town in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, prompting local authorities to urge over 1,000 residents to evacuate, while requesting assistance from the Self-Defense Forces to fight the flames.

The first fire broke out in the Kozuchi district of Otsuchi at around 1:50 p.m., spreading to multiple buildings and nearby woodland. About 10 kilometers away, another fire ignited in the afternoon in a mountainous area of the Kirikiri district, according to police and other sources.