Huge parkade fire stopped air traffic at Norwegian airport

- Entire parkade risks collapsing and could destroy 3000 cars. Fire likely started in EV

An extensive fire has been raging in a parking garage at Stavanger Airport in Norway. All air traffic was stopped and nearby hotels have been evacuated. Part of the five-story parking garage has already collapsed and destroyed about 300 cars, reports NRK.

Norwegian public service channel NRK reports that the fire had spread to around ten cars and to the first floor after it started on the ground floor.

Part of the garage has collapsed, and the fire chief fears that the entire garage may collapse.

"We have no control over the fire. We have four fire trucks  in place, says Svein Nesse, chief of the rescue service.

The garage has over 3,000 parking spaces and according to owner Avinor it was almost full when the fire started. This means that cars worth seraval million Euros are in danger of being destroyed.

May have started in an electric vehicle

The cause of the fire is unclear,however the cause if the fire is under heavy investigation.

"Initially we received information that the fire started in an electric vehicle, but we have not confirmed this yet", Victor Fenne-Jensen said to VG.

Air traffic stopped

On Tuesday afternoon, all air traffic at the airport was stopped to ease the job of extinguishing the fire.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg wrote on Twitter that she could no longer take the flight home to Oslo after the visit to the Johan Sverdrup oil extraction site  n Stavanger.

The wind has  been blowing the smoke towards an airport hotel. Therefore, guests have been evacuated, according to airport manager Anette Sigmundstad.

Police ask the public to stay away from the smoke as it likely contains hazardous substances, NRK writes.