House Fire in Bømlo: Residents Evacuated, Owner Missing

Firefighters Continue to Battle Re-Ignitions as Bømlo Residents Remain Evacuated

Residents of Bømlo, Norway, are facing another night away from their homes as firefighters continue to contend with re-ignitions of a gressbrann (grass fire) that broke out on Tuesday evening. While initial reports indicated the fire was under control, persistent flare-ups are preventing evacuees from returning.

The first report of the fire was logged by police at 3:35 AM on Tuesday. Half an hour later, the fire was no longer considered to be spreading, but a house was completely engulfed in flames, with fire crews focusing on damage control, according to Operations Leader Rune Tallaksen of the South-West Police District.

Police have interviewed witnesses and left the scene, Tallaksen reported shortly after 6:00 AM. Authorities were initially unable to contact the homeowner. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Tallaksen told Sunnhordland that the house was completely destroyed, leaving only the foundation remaining. Police are awaiting clearance from the fire department before investigating the site.

“We are not going to go in there. There is nothing to go in for. It’s just a foundation,” said Incident Commander Jens Helge Habbestad of Bømlo Fire and Rescue to the newspaper.

As of 10:53 AM today, police had still not been able to reach the homeowner and have now notified next of kin.

The situation remains fluid, with the fire continuing to flare up intermittently. Innsatsleder Guleif Instefjord Alfsvåg of the police, currently on site in Bømlo, stated that numerous personnel from both the fire service and civilian volunteers are working to suppress the re-ignitions. This ongoing activity is the reason authorities are maintaining the evacuation order.

“There are many people from both the fire service and civilians out working now. They are keeping down fires that flare up again. That is also the reason why we do not want the evacuees to move home today,” Alfsvåg said.

According to Sør-Vest politidistrikt, 11 homes and 13 people are currently evacuated. The police district stated in a press release that evacuees will receive a text message from the municipality when they are permitted to return home.

The strong winds in the area are presenting a significant challenge to firefighters. Operasjonsleder John Ask of the South-West Police District explained that the wind conditions mean the fire could easily spread northward. “As far as I understand, it is under control right now, but if it suddenly flares up again, a lot has to be put in place immediately,” Ask said.

The fire service plans to utilize a drone to monitor the area overnight. The situation is described as “unclear,” despite firefighters believing they currently have the blaze under control. Authorities confirm that flare-ups have been occurring regularly.

NRK reports that the initial gressbrann broke out at 7:00 PM on Tuesday. Due to strong gusts of wind, the fire spread rapidly. While fire crews gained control around 11:00 PM, they remain concerned about potential northward spread during the night.