Rain appears to have halted the spread of Japan's worst wildfire in more than half a century, officials said on Thursday, as residents expressed relief that the smoke was gone. The blaze had raged around the northeastern city of Ofunato for more than a week,

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.

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.