On Sunday night, emergency services responded to a single-storey house fire in Sandal, Stavanger.
The fire broke out in an apartment building, chief of police operations Gajetil Austrad tells NRK.
– We have evacuated a lot of people, more than 50 people. We continue to work to assess whether additional residential buildings will need to be evacuated due to smoke from this fire. Due to the construction in the apartment block, the extinguishing work is required, he told NRK at 05:00.
In an update at 06:15. The police write in X that they have been evacuated even more. The number of evacuees has now crossed 80.
Firefighters are engaged in extinguishing the fire.
Photo: Øystein Ellingsen / NRK
Had to be moved from the football field
6 people were sent to hospital with smoke injuries.
Evacuees were initially taken to a soccer field, but were moved to a kindergarten because of the cold and smoke from the fire.
– The municipality will set up a center for evacuees and relatives, Steiner Knudsen, operations manager at the Sør-West police district, tells NRK.
Flames on the roof of a one-story house in Stavanger.
Photo: Øystein Ellingsen / NRK
The fire came under control
A total of five townhouses with 28 apartments have been vacated. Police say there are rows of student residences.
– They are close. Many student families live here. Both adults and children have been evacuated. The smoke is powerful and highly toxic. That’s why we’re evicting so many people, says Østrått.
Østrått adds that it is too early to say anything about the cause of the fire. Just before 06.30, police said the fire department was starting to control the fire and some residents could return to their homes.
NRK brought the fire under control at 07:15, police said.
The evacuees have been shifted to this nursery school.
Photo: Øystein Ellingsen / NRK
– Spreads rapidly to the ceiling
The fire was reported to the police at 03:12.
Nils Cimmerøy, duty chief at the fire service, tells NRK that they sent large resources to the scene.
– We work hard. Smoke was thick when firefighters arrived. The fire quickly spread to the roof. Hence, evacuation work has started, he said.
Firefighters use a lift to extinguish the fire.
Photo: Øystein Ellingsen / NRK
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
