A major fire in Drammen has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced over 400 people to leave the Krokstadelva area since Friday afternoon. Firefighters had reduced the risk of the flames spreading to additional buildings by Saturday, but the fire was not yet fully under control and extinguishing operations were continuing in the surrounding woodland.
The fire began in a terraced house at around 3.30 pm on Friday, 17 July. It quickly spread between nearby wooden buildings and into the surrounding terrain, driven by dry conditions, strong winds and the steep landscape.
No deaths or missing residents have been reported. Two people were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke, including a member of the Norwegian Civil Defence (Sivilforsvaret). A firefighter was slightly injured, while eight police officers were also exposed to smoke.
More than 100 homes destroyed in the Drammen fire
Authorities estimate that more than 100 residential units have been completely destroyed. Images from Krokstadelva show rows of burned homes, damaged vehicles and smoke continuing to rise from parts of the neighbourhood.
Around 400 people registered at the municipal evacuation centre, according to Drammen mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen. Some residents were accommodated at the Scandic Ambassadeur and other hotels, while others stayed with relatives or friends.
“You can use the word catastrophe when a fire of this size hits us,” Hermansen said.
The mayor described the events as surreal and expressed solidarity with residents who had lost their homes and possessions.
Police officers entered several properties during the emergency to ensure that residents had left. The affected neighbourhood remains closed to the public while firefighting and safety operations continue.
Firefighters still tackling woodland fires
Although emergency services said the danger of the fire reaching additional buildings had been reduced, several smaller fires and smouldering areas remained active on Saturday.
Fire crews had a good overview of the residential area but had not fully contained the fires in the surrounding woodland. Firefighters were expected to work throughout the day and possibly for several days to extinguish remaining hotspots.
Around 100 firefighters from 17 fire stations have participated in the response. The Armed Forces (Forsvaret), the Home Guard (Heimevernet), the police and the Civil Defence are also supporting the operation.
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap, DSB) deployed six firefighting helicopters. Around 800,000 litres of water had been dropped over the affected area by Saturday.
Additional helicopters remained on standby elsewhere in southern Norway.
Norway’s largest residential fire in modern times
DSB director Lars Jacob Hiim described the incident as the largest recorded fire of its kind in Norway in modern times.
“This is the largest registered fire of this nature that DSB has recorded in modern times,” Hiim said. “Fortunately, we have received no reports of anyone being seriously injured or losing their life.”
Fire researcher and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences lecturer Ruben Dobler Strand said the combination of several warm days, dry wooden homes, steep terrain and southerly winds had allowed the flames to spread rapidly.
He said Norway may have to look back several centuries to find a fire that left a comparable number of people without homes.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established.
Norway considers preparedness for more extreme fires
Minister of Justice and Public Security Astri Aas-Hansen visited the affected area on Saturday and met local authorities, emergency personnel and evacuated residents.
“To see the homes and smell the fire is terrible. I feel deep sympathy for everyone who has lost their home and their memories,” she said.
Aas-Hansen said Norway must improve its preparedness for similar emergencies as climate change increases the risk of extreme weather and dry conditions. She also underlined the importance of cooperation between municipalities, emergency services and national agencies.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre expressed his sympathy for those affected and thanked the emergency services involved in the operation.
Rain forecast for Saturday was expected to support firefighters, but authorities warned that the extinguishing and recovery operations would continue. The immediate priority remains preventing the fire from reigniting, assisting displaced residents and determining the cause of one of the most destructive residential fires in modern Norwegian history.
