Overview
- The fire started in a townhouse in Krokstadelva and on Friday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. it spread rapidly through terraced houses and into nearby forest, leaving more than 100 homes destroyed.
- About 400 people were registered at evacuation centres and hundreds more were displaced and rehoused in local hotels or with relatives.
- Fire services, Civil Defence teams, about 80–100 firefighters, multiple water-bombing helicopters and armed forces support were deployed in what authorities called the largest residential firefighting operation in modern Norwegian history.
- Officials reported no deaths or missing people and said several people, including a firefighter, received treatment for smoke inhalation or minor injuries while crews work to douse smouldering hotspots and protect remaining buildings.
- An official investigation has been opened into the cause and authorities said hot, dry weather and strong winds helped the blaze spread, a risk pattern that has raised concern for other parts of Europe.