Last week, Astrid Søftestad was on her way home when she discovered a fire at a rest area in Nissedal. – I thought the fire was so big and high. And I was so horrified that someone could light a fire in a forest like that. When she got down to the rest area, it turned out to be German tourists who had lit the fire. – It was a full fire, so I told the man standing by the fire that he had to put it out. The German did not understand why. – I explain that there is a ban on lighting fires in the district, and that there has recently been a large forest fire nearby. news has tried to find out who the German tourist is in order to give him the opportunity to comment on the incident, but has not been successful. Astrid Søftestad experienced that the German tourists did not understand how great the risk of forest fires is in the area. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news – Dry everywhere The Meteorological Institute has issued a yellow danger warning for Austlandet and Agder. This means that vegetation can easily catch fire, and that a possible forest fire can affect large areas. In Nissedal, people are terrified of new forest fires after it took two weeks to put out a forest fire in which 3,000 acres of forest were lost. – Nothing is needed. It is completely dry. I think we are almost back to the summer of 2018, when it was very dry and there were many forest fires, says Nissedal fire chief Kristin Kyrkjerud Vaa. Should people who defy the bonfire ban be punished? She says that they constantly have to respond to reports of tourists who have lit fires. The fire marshal says that the fire brigade went out to put out four fires in four days last week. – There is a problem. We have seen that for several weeks. We get many desperate calls from people trying to tell the tourists that it is not okay to light a fire in the forest. Then they would rather not listen. But when the fire brigade comes, they have to put out the fire. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute issued a yellow warning for forest fires last week. Photo: Meteorological Institute Can be liable for damages Arnt Olav Storkås is an emergency manager in the Nissedal fire service. He says that people are surprised and a little scared when the fire service comes to visit to tell them that they have to put out the fire. – Many people think that since it has rained for a couple of days, the danger of forest fires is over. But it is not like that. You should know this before you light a fire Take care of the risk of forest fires and wind conditions. It is always the person who burns the fire who is responsible for fire safety. It should be an adult, sober person who is responsible for the fire. The fire must be at a good distance from buildings and vegetation. It is not allowed to burn fires on rocky outcroppings. The fire must not be bigger than you have control over and can put out if necessary. Have your own fire extinguisher readily available. It is not allowed to burn plastic, building material and other rubbish. When you leave the campfire, the campfire must be completely submerged. Source: Directorate for Community Safety and Emergency Preparedness (DSB) When the forest fire raged earlier this summer, the fire brigade experienced that tourists had lit a fire, even though a forest fire was raging nearby. – The firemen are tired now. And it’s a bit silly to have to use your free time to put out such fires as the tourists make. We are forced to step out to do it, and it is taking its toll. And it can cost you dearly if you start a forest fire. – Anyone who lights a fire in the forest must be aware that one is responsible. If you have lit a fire and the forest burns, you can get the bill for it, says Kyrkjerud Vaa. This is what it looked like when 3,000 acres of forest caught fire earlier this summer:
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Lighting a fire in a dry forest – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
