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.

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.

More than 2,000 firefighters are battling Japan's biggest forest fire in three decades, officials said Monday, as some 4,600 residents remain under an evacuation advisory.Around 2,000 people have left the area to stay with friends or relatives, while more than 1,200 evacuated to shelters, according to officials.