WATCH: Largest residential fire in Norway’s modern history destroys at least 100 homes; triggers mass evacuations
A fire has broken out in the southern Norwegian city of Drammen, destroying at least 100 homes and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate, authorities said on Saturday. The fire, located about 34 kilometers southwest of the capital Oslo, is the largest in the country’s history, according to authorities.Videos circulating on social media showed flames engulfing the house and billowing smoke. The fire broke out in a townhouse at around 3.30pm local time on Friday and quickly spread to neighboring houses and nearby forested areas. Firefighters continued working to control the blaze Saturday.More than 80 firefighters have been working to extinguish the blaze, while helicopters are dispatched to douse the flames with water. Drammen resident Finn Roine told Sky News, “I got a call from my daughter saying there was a fire three blocks of flats below her. A few minutes later my son and I drove up here to see what was going on.“When we got here it looked brighter because the fire was lower but spreading very fast. Then we saw the flames engulfing row after row of houses. Then I saw my daughter’s house. It’s burned down now and it’s still burning. There are still flames there,” he added.Norway’s Civil Protection Agency described the incident as the largest residential fire in the country’s modern history.Emergency services were battling the blaze and hundreds of people sought shelter in evacuation centres, public broadcaster NRK reported. Police said no residents were missing. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
