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Krokstadelva fire

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Krokstadelva fire
Part of the 2026 wildfire season
The fire seen from Vestfossen two hours after it broke out
Date
  • 17 July – 21 July 2026 (CEST)
LocationKrokstadelva, Norway
Coordinates59°45′38″N 10°2′21″E / 59.76056°N 10.03917°E / 59.76056; 10.03917
Impacts
Injuries11 reported
Evacuated400+
Structures destroyed50+
Costat least 1 billion NOK

The Krokstadelva fire was a 2026 residential and wildfire in eastern Norway, one of the largest residential fires in modern Norwegian history. The fire broke out on the afternoon on 17 July 2026 in Krokstadelva, Drammen, Buskerud, Norway, and spread quickly due to dry vegetation, high winds and warm temperatures. Within hours of the fire being discovered, several hundred people were evacuated, and more than one hundred residential units were reported as completely destroyed by nighttime. The fire was brought under control four days later.

Timeline

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The fire was first reported by the authorities at 15:39 local time, four minutes after the first call from a resident. Witness statements and video from a nearby surveillance camera show the fire starting around 15:30 with smoke visible at 15:32.[1][2] Despite a fast response from the local fire department, the fire developed during quickly during the afternoon to affect many residents of the Stenseth [no] housing estate.[3] Due to a long period of warm weather without rainfall, the vegetation was extremely dry, which, along with high winds, caused the fire to spread quickly. By 18:55, the fire had spread uphill to a larger area covering more than 100 residential units, all of which were completely burnt to the ground.[4][5] At 22:00, the fire was still out of control, flaring up in different places at different times, with fire departments from three counties and eight municipalities taking part, including six helicopters.[6][7] The fire also spread to a nearby forest, where it was still burning the following day.[8] By early 21 July, the fire was brought under control.[9] Authorities stated that they expect the extinguishing work to continue for at least ten days, with smoldering still being a big issue.[10]

While some people were reported missing soon after the fire broke out, everyone was accounted for by 18:55, and there were no reported fatalities.[5][11] By 19 July, at least eleven people were listed as injured, none of which were life-threatening. One firefighter suffered from burn injuries, and eight police officers and three civilian volunteers suffered smoke inhalation.[12][13]

On 21 July, police indicated that they had been questioning a man identified as a suspect in the fire, stating that while the exact cause of the fire was still unknown it appeared to be accidental.[14]

Initial reports have estimated the damages to exceed 1 billion kr (US$100 million).[15][16] It is the worst fire disaster in Norway since the 2014 Lærdal fire [no] and reportedly the largest residential fire in modern Norwegian history.[17]

Reactions

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On the eve of the fire breaking out, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that he had "deep sympathy for those who have been evacuated, and all who have lost their houses and homes in the fire".[18] Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, visited the area on 19 July and described the experience as "upsetting" and "very difficult".[15] Prime Minister Støre later visited the area on 21 July.[14]

References

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  1. ↑ Haraldsen, Stian (21 July 2026). "Brannvesenet har kontroll på brannen i Krokstadelva". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Tronstad, Live; Venbakken, Kira; Kristiansen (foto), Tore (19 July 2026). "Her forlater barnefamilien hjemmet for siste gang". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Hansen, Roy (17 July 2026). "Katastrofebrann på Stenseth – mange bolig brent ned til grunnen" (in Norwegian). Eikernytt. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Massive fire becomes Norway's largest in modern times after destroying more than 100 homes". AP News. 18 July 2026. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 Kvatningen, Roy (17 July 2026). "Storbrann i Krokstadelva – sprer seg mot nytt område" (in Norwegian). TV 2.
  6. ↑ Karlsmoen, Renate (17 July 2026). "Kraftig rekkehusbrann: – Helt jævlig" (in norsk). Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 17 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  7. ↑ "Seks helikoptre bistår i Krokstadelva". DSB (in Norwegian). 17 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Andersrød, Benjamin Vorland (18 July 2026). "Katastrofebrann i Drammen: Over 400 evakuert" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Norway's largest fire in over a century brought under control after 5 days". Anadolu (in Turkish). 21 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Bøe, Svanhild (20 July 2026). "Brannvesen har lagt opp til slukkeinnsats i ti døgn til". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Farah, Fathia Mahmoud (18 July 2026). "Brannsjefen mistet huset: – En krevende og vanskelig tid" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Politiet: Fortsatt ikke kontroll på storbrann" (in norsk). NRK. 17 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  13. ↑ Kvatningen, Roy (17 July 2026). "Storbrannen: Brannvesenet får ny utfordring" (in norsk). TV 2. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  14. 1 2 Haraldsen, Stian (21 July 2026). "Brannvesenet har kontroll på brannen i Krokstadelva". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 Eriksen, Jørgen; Mohn, Ella Bakken; Díaz, Martha C. S. (19 July 2026). "Kronprinsen besøker brannruinene: – Voldsomt tøft". VG (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Longva, Iben Lauvland (20 July 2026). "Storbrannen i Krokstadelva: – Her er det helt andre summer". E24 (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Massive fire becomes Norway's largest in modern times". ABC News. 18 July 2026. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  18. ↑ Saanum, Oddvar Sagbakken (17 July 2026). "Støre om storbrannen: – Min dype medfølelse går til dem som er blitt evakuert" (in Norwegian). TV 2.
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