Fukushima's Nuclear Radiation Could Be Spread By Raging Wildfire

A wildfire broke out over the weekend in an uninhabited portion of Japan's Fukushima prefecture, sparking concerns that the blaze might spread airborne radiation. The fire started on Mount Juman in Namie, where radiation has remained high enough since the 2011 disaster for officials to continue declaring it a "difficult-to-return zone." Eight helicopters from Fukushima, Miyagi and Gunma prefectures were dispatched to the site, Japanese newspaper the Mainichi reported Monday. When those helicopters couldn't stop the flames, local officials called in the Ground Self-Defense Force, a branch of the Japanese military, to help. The fire was likely started by lightning in the uninhabited region, the Mainichi reported.