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Norway places six forest fire helicopters on standby
🇳🇴 Norway /Disasters & Emergencies

Norway places six forest fire helicopters on standby

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Norway's Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) is placing six forest fire helicopters on standby for the coming days.
  • The helicopters have already responded to 50 forest fires this year, including a major blaze in Krokstadelva.
  • The measure comes amid a heightened risk of forest fires in parts of Agder, Telemark, and Eastern Norway.

Norway is bolstering its aerial firefighting capabilities by placing six forest fire helicopters on standby for the next few days. The Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) announced the decision, citing an elevated risk of forest fires in several regions.

Two of the extra helicopters will be stationed in Geiteryggen, Telemark, with three others positioned in Hamar. This is in addition to one helicopter that remains on permanent standby in Geiteryggen. The DSB noted that the forest fire helicopter unit has already been deployed to 50 forest fires this year, alongside an industrial fire in Rogaland and the significant fire in Krokstadelva.

It has been decided to put five extra helicopters on standby from July 28-30.

— Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB)The DSB announced the decision to increase the number of helicopters on standby.

The heightened alert follows a weekend with numerous reported fires, including eight in grass or open fields and nine in forests or woodlands. A warning for high forest fire danger has been issued for parts of Agder and Telemark, with similar concerns for Eastern Norway and other areas of Agder. This proactive measure aims to ensure rapid response to potential blazes during this critical period.

So far in 2026, the forest fire helicopter has been in action on 50 forest fires, an industrial fire in Rogaland and the large fire in Krokstadelva.

— Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB)The DSB highlighted the unit's operational history for the year.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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