Massive fire becomes Norway's largest in modern times

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 12:28am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 12:28am

In short:

More than 100 homes have been destroyed by fire near the city of Drammen in southern Norway.

Authorities say the fire is the largest in modern Norwegian history.

Drammen mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen described it as "a terrible incident".

The largest residential fire in modern Norwegian history has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate, according to authorities.

The fire in southern Norway started in a townhouse in the city of Drammen around 3:30pm. on Friday, local time, police said.

It then spread through the area and into nearby forests.

Firefighters battled to contain the flames amid strong winds and hot conditions, and continued their efforts to bring the blaze under control on Saturday morning.

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection said on Saturday that it was the largest fire of its kind in modern times.

Helicopters were deployed to douse the flames with water.

Mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen told NRK, Norway's public broadcaster, that the fire was "terrible" for local residents.

"This is a terrible incident that affects all of Drammen".

NRK said hundreds of people have headed to an evacuation centre, while others have gone to stay with friends or family.

Police say no residents have been reported missing.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

Drammen is roughly 34 kilometres south-west of Oslo.

Norway is usually known for its cool July days, with average maximum temperatures of only 13 to 18 degrees Celsius.

ABC/wires