(iFinnmark/Nettavisen): A gas station in Øksfjord is fully engulfed in flames. Emergency services are on the scene.
“There is a lot of smoke and high flames. A safety perimeter of 500 meters has been established. People are asked to stay away and keep windows closed,” police said at 2:37 PM.
At 3:15 PM, police sent an emergency alert to residents of Øksfjord. Authorities similarly reported explosions coming from the fire.
UPDATE: Authorities now report the fire is under control in terms of spread. The safety perimeter has been reduced to 300 meters.
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Entire Town Evacuated
Local fire crews are on site and have begun extinguishing the blaze, according to operations leader Theodor Weberg-Ellingsen.
“Notice open flames. Efforts are underway to evacuate those nearby and fight the fire,” he said.
Loppa Mayor Cato Kristiansen told NRK that the entire town is now being evacuated. He is personally assisting with the evacuation of residents. The town of Øksfjord has a population of just under 500 people and serves as the administrative center for Loppa.
Kristiansen told iFinnmark that the municipality has established a crisis center.
Read also: Fire in Øksfjord: Municipality Has Established Crisis Center
Municipal Director Inger Elisabeth Tvedt told Altaposten that the risk of explosion is “enormous.”
“We have initiated a full evacuation of people living near the gas station. We have called for assistance from Kvænangen and we are looking at the possibility of assistance from the sea. There is a full evacuation of the area. The explosion risk is enormous,” Tvedt told the newspaper.
Police drones are en route to the scene, authorities reported at 3:19 PM. Police are requesting that no other drones fly in the area.
Emergency services are also being dispatched from Alta, a drive of approximately 62 miles. The Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue reports that the rescue vessel Gjert Wilhelmsen has also been called to assist with the fire.
FULLY ENGULFED: The gas station in Øksfjord is fully engulfed in flames. A safety zone of 1 kilometer has been established. Photo: Hilde Bye
OBJECTIVE The fire in a remote Norwegian town is prompting a full evacuation as authorities work to contain the blaze and mitigate the risk of explosion.
Town on Alert
Kim Gøran Pedersen of Øksfjord told iFinnmark he is standing some distance away and does not have a full overview, but confirmed the entire gas station is on fire.
“The Coop store and other buildings nearby have been evacuated. A comprehensive safety perimeter has been established around the area, and the situation is described as a fully developed fire,” he said.
Read also: Fire Started in Car: ‘Then My Feet Caught Fire’
Magnor Korsgård, also on the scene, said the station building where the store manager had an office is now in flames. He added that there is also an apartment in the building.
“My God, what flames. Houses and equipment are going up in smoke,” he said.
Sounds of explosions can be heard amid the flames.
“Luckily, it’s completely windless,” he said.
Harald Olafson, owner of Øksfjord Bilservice, said the massive fire started when a spark from a car ignited gasoline on the engine. He himself caught fire.
“A spark flew, and there was some gasoline spilled on the engine. It immediately caught fire,” Olafson said.
SMOKE: “There is a lot of smoke and high flames,” police said about the fire in Øksfjord. Photo: Hilde Bye
