Firefighting efforts have continued throughout the night following the major fire in Krokstadelva. In the early morning hours, preparations were made for a possible evacuation of a nursing home behind the hill, after the forest fire crept upwards from the residential area.

There have been major problems in obtaining enough water for the firefighting. Work on laying a new water supply was prioritised towards midnight, after the firefighting helicopters had to stand down for the night.
The catastrophe is already regarded as the most serious fire in 100 years in Norway, according to Ruben Dobler Strand, university college lecturer in fire and safety at Høgskulen på Vestlandet. He has spoken to VG.
By comparison, a major fire in Lærdal in 2014 led to around 60 buildings being damaged, of which 42 were completely destroyed. This fire has been regarded as the largest built-up area fire in Norway since the Second World War.
Throughout the night the fire service and the Civil Defence have tried to keep control of the flames’ outer boundaries, but there was still wind and no full control over where it flared up again at the latest press briefing on Friday evening around 23:00.
– What is new, and what we can report, is that the outer parameters that the fire service has set for the fire are working. We have not had any spread to new houses since the previous briefing. That is a good sign, said the police operations leader Frode Presthus during the press briefing.
After midnight no status updates have appeared in the police log.
NTB reports in the early hours of Saturday that the firefighters hope that rain which is on the way in will assist the situation. But thunderstorms are also expected, and when it gets light, this could in that case create problems for the helicopters participating in the firefighting.
Over 100 homes are now reported to have been completely burnt down. The number has doubled from Document’s previous update on Friday at around 19:00.

– The fire has calmed down, but we are far from having it under control. Conditions change quickly, and the fire still flares up suddenly in different places, said Presthus.

Monitoring nursing home

A forest fire triggered by the fire in the residential area crept up the hill behind the residential area during the night, and this triggered fears that Solberglia nursing home, on the opposite side of the ridge, would have to be evacuated. Buses and a large number of rescue personnel from among others the Red Cross were therefore there around 03:30 last night, according to Drammen Live24.
Fire hoses had been laid out in the terrain around the buildings at this location.
At the same time, according to the online newspaper, rumours circulated of a larger fire further into the terrain behind Solbergåsen. Several drones were continuously hovering in the air above the ridge to monitor any development in that direction.

Watch leader Glenn Espen Kustner at the 110 emergency centre southeast said earlier to TV 2 that the fire could continue for several days. He spoke of extremely demanding conditions for the firefighters.

– They are wearing clothing that does not let heat in or out, and the temperature is high, he tells the channel.

– Not been in contact with everyone

– We have not received reports that anyone is missing. As I said earlier, we do not yet have one hundred per cent control. We have not been in contact with everyone, but as of now no one has been reported missing, said Presthus before midnight, according to NTB.

He said at the time that it would take many hours before the fire could be extinguished.

It was too early on Friday evening to say anything about the cause of the major fire, according to the police. Several ambulances and rescue vehicles from the fire service in the Drammen region stood ready outside the residential area that was completely razed by the flames.
(Photo: Thomas Fure / NTB)

The police issued the first report about the fire at 15:39 and wrote then that there was full involvement in one of the housing units in a terraced house. The fire then spread quickly to several nearby buildings in the dry and hot weather, and assumed a very large scale. The flames also took hold in the terrain.

Pictures from the fire site show enormous destruction and houses reduced to ash.

So far there is no certain figure for how many have been evacuated, but it concerns several hundred, according to operations leader Presthus.

Plans for firefighting work over the coming days were laid on Friday evening.

Residents who were evacuated from the major fire in Krokstadelva tell of dramatic minutes and hours. Micah Weggersen was one of those who received orders to evacuate when the flames approached the dwelling.

Packed family photographs

– The police went from door to door and knocked, he tells Drammens Tidende.

Weggersen brought with him a suitcase in which he had packed family photographs that are difficult to replace. Lasse Spiel also had to evacuate when the fire approached his dwelling.

– I became scared and stressed. I thought about the people around. They were actually very scared, and there were very many of them, he tells Drammens Tidende.

The rescue crews turned out with large resources, but there were long minutes of waiting, says Spiel.

– It felt as if we stood waiting for a very long time before both the fire service and police arrived. But when they finally came, I got hope, he says.

NTB conveys reactions from central politicians:

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) said on Friday evening that he has deep sympathy for those who have been evacuated, and for all those who have lost their house and home in the major fire.

– It makes a strong impression to see the violent fire in the residential area in Krokstadelva in Drammen, the Prime Minister stated in an email to NTB.

Storting President Masud Gharahkhani was also among those who reacted:

– My deepest thoughts go to all neighbours and fellow citizens who have been affected, evacuated or who fear for their homes right now. Thank you to everyone in the emergency services who are in the middle of the life-threatening firefighting work, he wrote in a message.

Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Astri Aas-Hansen (Ap) said that she is following the development.

– The fire has created a dramatic situation for many of the city’s residents, said Aas-Hansen, and added that she has received assurances that the emergency services are cooperating well and have the necessary resources available.