A fire broke out at a building housing multiple camping vehicles early Wednesday morning, causing significant damage and briefly flaring up again hours later. The incident, which began shortly before 1:00 a.m. Local time, prompted a response from police and fire crews in Karmøy, Norway.
Police received notification of the blaze at 12:54 a.m., with initial reports indicating a single camping vehicle was on fire near an industrial building. The proximity of other parked camping vehicles quickly raised concerns.
“Police and fire are en route to the scene. We find no reports of anyone being inside the camping vehicle,” said operations leader Dag Steinkopf of the South-West Police District shortly after the initial call.
The situation quickly escalated, as the fire spread to multiple vehicles and then to the industrial building itself.
“There is fire in several cars and it has now caught fire in the building,” Steinkopf reported.
In a subsequent update, Steinkopf added, “It is burning well in both the cars and the building and there are some explosions coming from the fire. The fire department is working to extinguish it.”
Authorities confirmed that no individuals were believed to be inside either the building or any of the vehicles.
By 1:39 a.m., firefighters were beginning to gain control of the blaze, and the risk of further spread was considered low. However, the building and several vehicles sustained substantial damage.
“The fire department reports that they are beginning to get the fire under control and the risk of spreading is considered small. Extensive damage to the building and several cars outside the building has occurred,” police reported.
The situation took a turn around 3:22 a.m. When the fire reignited. This development raised renewed concerns about potential spread to a nearby structure.
“The fire department reports that the fire has flared up and there is a risk of spreading to a nearby building,” Steinkopf said. The incident underscores the potential for rapid escalation in fires involving vehicles, and structures.
