DSB increases forest fire preparedness in Eastern Norway after several forest fire incidents in Southern Norway in recent days, and warns against the use of open flames in dry areas.
Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) has established a contingency with a forest fire helicopter at Kjeller.
In recent days there have been several forest fire incidents in Southern Norway. On Thursday, there were forest fire incidents in Oslo, Akershus, Agder and Telemark.
DSB is asking people to show great caution in the use of open flames in dry areas, writes the Directorate on its web pages.
In Telemark, the fire department has placed a ban on fires on hunters and others who live in the forest, writes Telemarksavisa.
In the last three days, there have been seven wildfires in the county. Not later than Thursday morning a forest fire broke out along Norsjø in Skien, and the fire department thinks it will take several days to extinguish the fire, according to NRK news.
The hunting season and autumn holiday leads to more using the forest, and hunters are among those who are used to fuel a campfire during the hunt.
Fire chief Guttorm Liebe Skien believes it is not justifiable to light a campfire now. Liebe think hunters’ coffee campfires are directly responsible for many of the fires in the past, according to the channel.
– If the hunters don’t pull themselves together, we’re going to get more of these forest fires, says Liebe to the channel.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
