Norway's largest fire in over a century destroys 113 homes; firefighters narrowly escape flames

Drammen's fire department is providing new details about the rapid spread of a major fire in Krokstadelva, which left over a hundred households homeless. Fire chief Kjetil Wetterstad Jensen described the scene as "brutal" and recounted how firefighters narrowly escaped being overtaken by flames.

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It is only when we come into the lower part of the road that we really understand what we are facing. The sight that meets us is brutal.

Jensen, who was among the first responders, explained in a Facebook post that crews were attempting to cool houses to prevent the fire's spread when the situation "dramatically" changed. Smoke divers had to retreat, abandoning hoses as flames advanced from both sides. A fire truck was forced to reverse into a dead-end street to escape the inferno.

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Despite the shielding, the fire spreads so quickly that the smoke divers have to retreat. They have to leave their hoses. The flames come from both sides. The fire is about to catch them. They get out.

"This one we can't catch up to. Several buildings will go here," Jensen reported telling the police. "We have to do what we can to ensure that the buildings that will burn, burn without people inside." Simultaneously, efforts to establish water supply faced challenges, with some fire hydrants malfunctioning or providing insufficient water. Jensen emphasized that these water issues did not cause the rapid spread, as the fire had already grown too large. The priority shifted to saving lives.

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This one we can't catch up to. Several buildings will go here. We have to do what we can to ensure that the buildings that will burn, burn without people inside.

The fire, which occurred on July 17, is Norway's largest in over a century. While no one was seriously injured, the incident has prompted scrutiny of municipal oversight, with Drammen municipality admitting to irregular inspections of fire hydrants. The fire's rapid progression through the Stenseth residential area was attributed to dry conditions, wind, and close-set buildings.

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Quite early, I am informed that the first fire hydrants are either not working or delivering far less water than we need. It creates challenges for the effort in the lower part of the field.