Over 400 evacuated as major fire destroys more than 100 homes in Norway

More than 400 people were evacuated after a large fire tore through a residential area in southeastern Norway, destroying over 100 homes, while firefighters continued battling the blaze on Saturday, authorities said.

The fire broke out in a townhouse in the Krokstadelva area of Drammen on Friday afternoon before spreading rapidly to neighboring homes and surrounding woodland.

Police in the South-East district said the fire remained out of control, although the risk of it spreading to additional residential buildings had been reduced, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported.

Authorities said firefighters were still dealing with smoldering hotspots and smaller fires across the area.

Around 100 firefighters from 10 fire and rescue services and 17 fire stations have been involved in the response over the past 24 hours, with 12 fire engines still at the scene, supported by the armed forces, civil defense, and police.

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) said six firefighting helicopters have been deployed to combat the blaze, while seven more remain on standby in southern Norway. The helicopters have dropped around 800,000 liters (211,000 gallons) of water on the affected area.

DSB Director Lars Jacob Hiim described the incident as the largest recorded fire of its kind in modern Norwegian history.

"So far, we have fortunately received no reports of anyone being seriously injured or losing their lives," he said.

Authorities said there were no reports of missing residents.

Two people were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, including one civil defense member. A firefighter sustained minor injuries, while eight police officers also suffered smoke inhalation during the operation.

Drammen Mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen described the incident as a "disaster," saying about 400 evacuees had been registered at the municipality's evacuation center.

Evacuated residents are being accommodated at the Scandic Hotel Ambassadeur and other hotels in the city, while many have also stayed with relatives and friends, he said.

Fire officials said there was currently no risk of the blaze spreading to additional buildings, although several forest fires continued burning in the surrounding area. Firefighting crews temporarily withdrew from some sections overnight because of lightning and storms.

Authorities said heavy rainfall forecast for Saturday was expected to aid firefighting efforts.