At least 100 homes destroyed in a fire in Norway; explosions were heard
More than 100 homes have been destroyed in the massive fire currently raging in Drammen, around 40 km from Oslo. This is according to the state broadcaster NRK’s website. According to Chief Constable Frode Presthu, the fire service has not yet brought the blaze under control; it has spread to several terraced houses and plots of land due to strong winds.
Several hundred people have been evacuated and there are no reports of injuries apart from one firefighter who sustained minor injuries, whilst several people are being monitored by the health service.
Earlier, explosions had been heard in the area.
The alarm was raised shortly after 3.30 pm, when a fire in a terraced house quickly spread to other homes and the surrounding land, fuelled by strong winds. Several hundred people were evacuated. Six fire-fighting helicopters and numerous rescue teams were deployed to contain the blaze. The authorities also established a temporary no-fly zone to facilitate the fire-fighting operations.
“All available firefighters in Eastern Norway have arrived at Krogstadelva, and we have substantial resources from the Civil Defence and the DSB (Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning) at our disposal, which are coordinating the helicopter operations,” said Chief Constable Frode Presthus. The mayor of Dammne, Kiell Arne Hermansen, described the incident as “a terrible accident” and announced that “all our municipal and emergency services resources are currently focused on helping people in the area”. A municipal crisis unit has been activated and reception centres have been set up for those displaced.
