Norway fire largest since WWII

The following comment about the fire in Norway was left yesterday by bjorn ivar:

"The Froland fire in Norway is now reported to have burned between 2000 and 6000 acres. More than 20 cabins and one farm has also been consumed by the flames. 4 helicopters and 200-300 firefighters is fighting the fire.

This is probably the largest wildfire in Norway since WWII by a wide margin."

Here is more information from Aftenposten

"Forest fire burning for fourth day in a row

More homes were evacuated as a fire in Froland, southern Norway, kept burning during the night. Officials were more optimistic, however, that they would soon gain control over it.

The fire that turned into an inferno near the town of Mykland on Monday seemed to be "calming down," said one official. "It's been a good night, with a lot of positive developments, and we think this will be a good day," Ove Frigstad, leader of the fire battalion, told Aftenposten.no Thursday morning.

Frigstad conceded that "the wind was still dangerous," but forecasts that it might finally start raining fueled his optimism.

He also said emergency crews knew where the various "fire fronts" were, and that they were positioned at all of them.

"We have crews on all fronts, but don't have full control until they're all extinguished," he said. "It's very dry in the area, and the fire has been burning for a long time."

More than 10,000 mål (about 2500 acres, or 1,000 hectares) have been ravaged by the blaze and nearly 70 persons remained under evacuation orders.

The fire in Froland, Aust-Agder County, is just one of several fires to have broken out in southern Norway during the past two weeks. Eight persons lost their homes during another fire near Modum in Buskerud County on Wednesday."