A stubborn brush fire south of Stavanger that’s foiled firefighters for the past two days flared up again on Tuesday. Smoke from the fire in the hills above Sandnes was visible over much of Nord-Jæren Tuesday morning.
“We’re steadily getting new reports that the fire has flared up again in several places,” Gry Solem of the firefighting agency Brannvesenet for southern Rogaland told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
Large crews of emergency workers have been battling the blaze around Vårlivarden since it was first reported late Sunday afternoon. Officials think it was started by a burning cigarette tossed by a hiker into the dry grass and plants known as lyng.
Around 35 firefighters were trying to retain control over the blaze Tuesday morning, with a special fire-fighting helicopter called in to help. It’s early in the season for brush fires, but unusually dry weather in the area has persisted over the past week. The fire spread over an area of several square kilometers between Hommersåk and Besagel in Sandnes township and the main priority was to keep the flames away from populated areas.
newsinenglish.no staff
