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."

Fire roundup

California

Ophir Fire, 2 miles south of Oroville, 1,600 acres, 21 residences and 28 outbuildings lost. The spread of this fire has been stopped for now.

The photo of the Ophir fire below is courtesy of the Enterprise-Record.


Jackson Fire, 20 miles north of Sacramento, 6,400 acres. Three firefighters from Sacramento Metro FD were entrapped while protecting a mobile home. Two took refuge in an engine and were not injured. The captain did not make it to the engine and received some second- and third-degree burn injuries.

41 Fire, 17 miles north of Fresno, 3,300 acres.

Indians Fire, 18 miles west of King City in a Los Padres National Forest wilderness area, 1,300 acres. There are reports that the fire made a big run yesterday.

Fire in Stockton. The fire started in brush along Interstate 5 and spread into a residential neighborhood, destroying destroying 20 condominium units, nine single-family homes and a triplex before it was controlled.

North Carolina

Evans Road Fire, 7 miles south of Creswekk, 40,195 acres, still spreading to the north and east. In addition to Hildreth's Type 2 Incident Management Team, Custer's NIMO (National Incident Management Organization) team is assigned. Firefighters are burning off wheat stubble fields out ahead of the fire.

Senator Elizabeth Dole is requesting that the White House reconsider a request for emergency assistance from FEMA. It was denied earlier.

The photo below from InciWeb is of the Evans Road fire near the actual Evans Road. The caption on InciWeb made note of the "irrigation hose". Firefighters refer to it as "hose" or "fire hose".

Norway

A fire in Froland has burned 10 cabins and 250 acres. During the night 49 people were evacuated. Firefighters were able to save a 150-year old church in the hamlet of Mykland which was completely surrounded by the fire Wednesday morning.

Canada

Virtually the entire population of Uranium City, Saskatchewan were flown out ahead of an advancing fire. The fire is one of 252 fires burning in Saskatchewan.