It was a completely normal Monday afternoon in the house in Fossheimveien in Bø. Firefighter Henning Rønningsland had just returned home with the 2-year-old from kindergarten, when he looked out of the window of his newly renovated home. The view is towards Vreimsida where there was a big forest fire last year. – Imagine if there is a forest fire there now, then I have to be gone for the whole of May 17, I said to my wife, mostly jokingly, says Henning Rønningsland. Ten seconds later it slammed. Had to call colleagues As a firefighter, Rønningsland knows what to do in the event of a lightning strike. He therefore took a round of the house to see that everything had gone well. It had not. – I told the wife and children that they had to stay away from the windows, while I checked the house. Shortly afterwards I discovered open flames under the stairs. He told the family that they had to get out, while he put out the fire himself and called his colleagues. Outside, it turned out that extensive damage had also occurred. – Fuses popped out The concrete in the foundation wall has cracked and sprung out, and a fuse box has been hit hard. – Fuses have blown outside, so now the power company is here and an electrician is on the way, to ensure that no more damage occurs. THE CONCRETE SPRAYED: The foundation wall has suffered extensive damage after the lightning strike. Rønningsland says that he and his partner are shocked. Photo: Private The emergency services had just left the scene when Rønningsland spoke to news. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has issued a yellow forest fire warning for large parts of Eastern Norway. This is what the notice looks like from Tuesday 16 May. The risk of forest fires is increasing. YELLOW DANGER WARNING: This is how the warning from the Meteorological Institute looks like from Tuesday 16 May. The risk of forest fires is increasing. Photo: Meteorological Institute A lightning warning has also been issued in parts of southern and eastern Norway from 1pm to 9pm on Monday 15 May. Around 700-800 lightning registrations There have been between 700-800 lightning registrations, says Meteorologist on duty Martin Granerød. The storm has moved all the way from the Swedish border in the south-east and almost all the way up to Femunden, in the north of Innlandet. – It has been quite scattered, so there are probably quite a few people who have realized that there has been lightning and thunder today, says Granerød. He explains that there has been a strong intensity in the lightning strikes. There is still lightning in the showers this evening, he says – It will continue throughout the evening, but the intensity of the showers will gradually decrease. There may be some lightning activity again tomorrow morning, but it is still uncertain. Special experience The house, which the family of four moved into at the end of March this year, has suffered such extensive damage that it will not be possible to live there for a while. As a result, Rønningsland, his wife and two children, aged 2 years and 8 weeks respectively, have to move home with their grandparents. The firefighter from Bø has responded to lightning strikes countless times. but admits that it is something special to experience it at such close range. – Then I go out on a job that I like to do, when it happens privately it is a different matter, he says. Despite the dramatic experience, the firefighter is glad it didn’t get any worse. – That’s the most important thing, it’s just a house.
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Lightning struck the stairs in the house of fireman Henning – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
