Extinguishing work is ongoing. Fire chief Josten Tangen at the 110 central in central Norway says that the fire continues to spread. – It is dry in the area and quite a bit of wind, which makes it challenging to extinguish the fire, he says. – It spreads down towards houses and buildings. We have acquired a drone that makes it easier to see how large the extent of the fire is, adds Tangen. The fire is approaching buildings. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden Both the Civil Defense and the Red Cross have been sent out to assist. – We assist the fire service with crews and equipment in connection with extinguishing the fire. The fire brigade was early to ask for help. We help with what we have, says Gjertrud Berglund, emergency guard for the Civil Defense in Sør-Trøndelag, and adds: – It’s Saturday night and Christmas party time, and it’s not so easy to get people out. But we provide 12 people on site, two fire pumps and other extinguishing equipment. The cause of the fire is not known. The 110 switchboard received the first call about the fire at 3.10pm on Saturday. Both the fire service, the Civil Defense and locals are involved in the extinguishing work. Photo: Ståle Eian The fire is approaching settlement, and several houses have been evacuated. Photo: Albert Larsen The residents who have been evacuated have been asked to go to the municipal hall in Åfjord municipality. The fire was reported at 15.15 on Saturday afternoon Photo: Tips Many volunteers are helping to put out the fire. One of these is Ståle Eian. Ståle Eian contributes as a volunteer in the extinguishing work. Photo: Ståle Eian – I live in the housing estate right next to where it started. We saw the smoke rising from behind the mountain behind the house, so I got dressed and went up to look. I have helped to move and stretch fire hoses, he says. Evacuees – It’s a bit scary, it is, says Steinar Kristian Eian. He is one of those who had to leave his home after the evacuation. – When you hear that you are being evacuated, it is a bit more serious nonetheless. Now they took the electricity in the fields, so the upper part of the field is darkened, he says to news. He says they have been told to stand at the town hall in Roan. Hege Terning and Ida Lindbak have also been evacuated. Hege Terning is one of the evacuees. Photo: Hege Terning – I live in Myrliveien and the fire is so close now that we who live in Myra, as we call it, had to leave. We got the message now that we didn’t have many minutes to go. I think everyone has left. I saw the smoke because it lights up here, says Terning. The municipality monitors the situation and cooperates with the fire and rescue agencies. It is now on the municipality’s website. At 19.25, 18 residents from 12 houses had arrived at the municipal building, which functions as an evacuation centre. This is reported by the police. Out of control – There are 15 homes being evacuated in Myrlivegen at Hongsand in Roan in Trøndelag, says Frode Lyngvær from Fosen fire and rescue. The fire is out of control and has spread from the mountain at Jardalen and down the valley in Roan in Åfjord municipality. Photo: Albert Larsen – It is now only 50 to 100 meters from the fire to the building. The fire spreads very quickly because of the wind, says Lyngvær. He says it is burning in a large area of between five and ten meters on the mountain and valley side. Former mayor Albert Larsen tells how he perceived that the fire started. – It started this afternoon after we had eaten dinner. Then I was out for a walk in the courtyard and I thought it was so strange – it was true that rain had been announced at YR, but the raindrops that came were so strange. Then I looked more closely at them and then there was smoke, he says and continues. – It is quite steep where it started. And then it has spread downwards towards buildings. And an area with a number of cabins is probably where it is most exposed right now, says Albert Larsen. Great danger of the fire spreading – The fire spreads quickly in terms of wind direction and wind speed, said Jostein Tangen, fire marshal at 110 – the center in Midt – Norway on Saturday afternoon. Many crews have been deployed to extinguish the fire, and help is also coming from the Civil Defense and the Red Cross. Jostein Tangen says that it has been dry in the terrain for a long time. It is an area of heather, scrub and forest that is now burning. It is dry and there is a high risk of forest fires throughout Trøndelag. – People should be careful when using open flames, says the fire chief. The cause of the forest fire which is currently underway is not known. Forest fire helicopter not coming A forest fire helicopter has been on standby at Værnes. It has been requested and requested from 110 – the exchange in Midt – Norway. But there are no conditions for deploying a forest fire helicopter now. This is what rescue manager Oddgeir Andersen at the main rescue center in southern Norway says to news. – It is not weather and light conditions. Forest fire helicopters do not operate in the dark and need daylight, says Andersen. There is a fire in a mountain area on Roan in Åfjord. Photo: Tips
ttn-69