Grass fires across Norway: ”It is like kindling”

Deliberately set grass fire. Photo: Wikimedia.org

Grass fires across southern Norway: ”It is like kindling”

A grass fire is out of control in Gjesdal in Rogaland and a residential building is burning to the ground at Mysen in Østfold. “The grass is like kindling!” an Operational Manager exclaims.


Large forces are involved in extinguishing a grass fire in Gjesdal in Rogaland. It is not under control yet.

“We have all available crew involved in extinguishing on the site. We still don’t have complete control of the fire,” Officer on Guard of Rogaland Inter-municipal Fire and Rescue, Ruben Bøe Thomsen, tells NRK.

Difficult terrain makes it difficult to access the area.

Fire-fighters are working to gain control of an area of five to six acres hard up against a forested area.

Operational Manager of the Fire Department, Frode Johansen, states that it is very dry on the spot.

“The grass here is like kindling!” He exclaims.

Police announced around 10.30 am that the fire was out of control and that it spread quickly. There is no danger to any settlement.

House is burning to the ground

At Mysen in Østfold, the police notified about a fire in a garage at 13.30. The fire spread to a nearby residential building. It further led to a grass fire.

 

“The fire is under control, but the house is going to burn to the ground,” according to the police. All residents are accounted for.

The police were momentarily afraid that the fire would spread. Around 2 pm they, however, gained control of the nearby buildings.

In Trøndelag fires also broke out. In Stokksund, there was a risk that a grass fire would spread to residential buildings, but it came under control just before 3 pm. In Melhus it was reported about a grass fire around 2 pm, but that is under control as well.

Innlandet Police District reported of a grass fire in a field at Skarnes in South Odal in Hedmark. At Fusa in Hordaland, the 110 Emergency Central reported about a fire around 1.45 pm. The fire was out of control at the time.

 

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A hectic day in Rogaland

Fire-fighters in Rogaland report of a hectic day in the county.

In addition to the one in Gjesdal, a grass fire broke out at Lindland in Sokndal, and at Sola, south of Stavanger it burned in a forest near Tananger. About 300 square metres have been on fire. Fire-fighters have managed to extinguish it. The police suspect that the fire is deliberately set. They are in contact with two children and their guardians in connection with the matter.

In addition, 260 cases involving the burning of undergrowth have been reported in the district on Saturday. These are all under control, but Officer on Guard of Rogaland Fire and Rescue, Svein Nesse informs that there are many concern calls caused by observations of smoke.

“All the reports regarding fires that we receive, are checked against notified burning of undergrowth. If a fire suddenly comes out of control, the person responsible must call 110 and inform us,” Nesse tells Stavanger Aftenblad.


© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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