100 homes destroyed in one of Norway's largest contemporary fires
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DRAMMEN, NORWAY: A fast‑moving fire tore through a row‑house neighbourhood in southern Norway on Monday, destroying multiple homes and forcing residents to flee as thick smoke blanketed the area.
Emergency services say the fire spread rapidly across connected wooden structures, prompting one of the region’s largest recent firefighting deployments.
Rapid spread through wooden terraced homes
The fire broke out in a tightly built residential block where several terraced houses share walls and roof structures — a configuration that allowed flames to jump quickly from unit to unit. Witnesses reported intense heat and heavy smoke visible from surrounding districts.
Local fire brigades from several municipalities were dispatched, supported by aerial ladder trucks and tanker units. Crews worked to contain the blaze from both street level and rooftop positions to prevent further spread into adjacent homes.
100 homes have been destroyed and 400 people were evacuated.
Evacuations and structural damage
Residents were evacuated as firefighters battled flames that engulfed entire sections of the row‑house complex. Authorities say several units have suffered major structural damage, with some roofs collapsing under the heat.
Police established a perimeter around the neighbourhood and urged the public to avoid the area due to smoke and ongoing suppression operations.
Cause under investigation
Fire investigators will enter the site once temperatures fall and structures are deemed safe. Early reports indicate the fire may have started in one unit before spreading along the shared roofline, but officials caution that the cause remains undetermined.
A reminder of Norway’s vulnerability to wooden‑structure fires
Norway’s housing stock includes large numbers of wooden homes, particularly in older coastal communities. Fire officials note that terraced wooden houses can experience rapid fire spread, making early detection and coordinated response critical.