Major fire destroys over 100 homes in Norway, more than 400 evacuated
13:16, 18/07/2026, SaturdayU: Update: 13:17, 18/07/2026, Saturday
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A large fire in southeastern Norway has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced over 400 people to evacuate. The blaze, described as the largest recorded fire of its kind in modern Norwegian history, remained out of control as firefighters continued to battle the flames.
A major fire has swept through a residential area in southeastern Norway, destroying over 100 homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. The blaze broke out in a townhouse in the Krokstadelva area of Drammen on Friday afternoon before spreading rapidly to neighbouring properties and surrounding woodland, authorities said.
Firefighting Efforts
About 100 firefighters from 10 services have been involved, supported by the armed forces and civil defence. Six firefighting helicopters have dropped around 800,000 litres of water on the area, with seven more on standby. Police said the fire remained out of control, though the risk of further spread to homes had been reduced. Two people were hospitalised with smoke inhalation, and eight police officers and a firefighter sustained minor injuries.
Record Fire and Evacuation
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection described the incident as the largest recorded fire of its kind in modern Norwegian history. Drammen Mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen called it a "disaster," with evacuees housed in hotels and with relatives. Heavy rainfall forecast for Saturday was expected to assist firefighting efforts.