More than 400 people were evacuated in southeastern Norway after a massive fire destroyed over 100 homes, with emergency crews continuing efforts to contain the blaze on Saturday.
The fire started Friday afternoon in a townhouse in the Krokstadelva area of Drammen before quickly spreading to nearby homes and surrounding woodland.
Police said the fire remained uncontrolled but that the risk of the flames reaching more residential buildings had decreased. Firefighters continued working to extinguish smaller fires and hotspots across the affected area.
Large emergency response launched
Around 100 firefighters from 10 rescue services and 17 fire stations responded to the disaster. Twelve fire engines remained at the scene, supported by police, the armed forces and civil defence teams.
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) deployed six firefighting helicopters, while additional aircraft remained on standby. The helicopters dropped around 800,000 litres of water over the affected areas to slow the spread of the fire.
DSB Director Lars Jacob Hiim described the incident as the largest recorded fire of its type in modern Norwegian history.
Fortunately, authorities reported no deaths or serious injuries. Two people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, including a civil defence worker, while a firefighter suffered minor injuries. Several police officers were also treated after inhaling smoke.
Hundreds forced from their homes
Drammen Mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen called the situation a disaster and said around 400 evacuees had registered at the municipality’s emergency centre.
Many displaced residents were moved to hotels, while others stayed with family and friends as authorities assessed the damage.
Although officials said the immediate threat to additional homes had declined, several forest fires continued burning nearby. Fire crews temporarily withdrew from some areas overnight because of lightning and storm conditions.
Authorities said expected rainfall on Saturday could help firefighters bring the blaze under control.
