Kristiansand municipality – Clearing of fire streets in Ny-Hellesund

Ny-Hellesund in 1934. Photo by Anders Beer Wilse

Ny-Hellesund is one of the most valuable cultural environments in Southern Norway. The sailing ships that plyed between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea usually chose to sail close to the Norwegian coast in order to be able to seek shelter in one of the outports if necessary. Where conditions were right, small trading posts with customs, inns and shipyards developed. When steamships made their entrance at the end of the 19th century, there was no longer the same need for the outports.

Fire lanes are areas that are cleared of forest and brush to prevent forest fires from spreading. The usual practice is to burn down a strip of forest to stop a forest fire after it has started to burn. But it is also possible to create a fire escape as a preventive measure.

It is on top of the knolls behind the buildings that fire lanes will be cut. Photo: Kristiansand municipality

Undergrown

In the 19th century, forest fires were not a big challenge because all trees were cut for firewood, and livestock made sure to graze most of the undergrowth. Today, large parts of the archipelago are overgrown.

It is not realistic to cut down all the forest and scrub. Juniper in particular is highly flammable. By clearing an area around the cultural environment, it becomes easier for the fire service to control a forest fire so that it does not reach buildings.

Fire protection plan

The municipality has drawn up a fire protection plan for Ny-Hellesund. Two measures that are recommended are fire alarms in the buildings, and clearing of forest and undergrowth to be able to stop a forest fire.

On the basis of this plan, the municipality has then drawn up a map of fire escapes on Monsøya.

Image of map of Ny-Hellesund

Management plan for Monsøya. It is the gray field closest to the strait, as well as the blue field furthest to the left, which will be cleared this year. The green fields, as well as the three blue fields to the right of the map, must not be cleared. Click on the map to bring it up in a larger format.

Management plan

We are talking about a management plan that depends on all landowners agreeing to cutting down forest on their property. We have been in contact with all landowners and received positive feedback and permission to clear the area.

With the exception of Bjørneskaret (the only area with deciduous forest to be cleared), the fire escapes are located on the knolls, high in the terrain. They are placed so that they have the least possible negative impact on existing nature.

Helicopter transport

The municipality has announced a public tender, and Altiskog has been awarded the task of clearing the forest. The terrain is so rugged that manual felling will be required.

It will not be possible to prune the trees due to the fire hazard associated with dry piles of twigs, nor is it possible to burn the twigs so close to the building. The trees will therefore be transported down to the seaside by helicopter, and transported from there by barge.

It will mostly be a question of trees and bushes of little value, and for safety reasons, unfortunately, the only option is to transport them from the island.

Altiskog, the fire service and the landowner on an inspection to stake out the fire escapes.

Altiskog, the fire service and landowner on inspection to stake out fire escapes in Ny-Hellesund

Altiskog, the fire service and the landowner on an inspection to stake out fire escapes. Photo: Kristiansand municipality

Harvested in April

The work will take place in April. We have considered the time of year carefully. In autumn there is a great risk of fire because the terrain is dry, in winter it is too risky for those who are going to cut, because of ice.

Information meetings

An information meeting about fire alarms was held (the municipality will cover 50% of the costs of those who wish to have wireless fire alarms installed in the buildings in the cultural environment) at Søgne old rectory in November last year.

On that occasion, Ole Stian Øslebye from Rambøll AS presented the fire protection plan and the planning of fire escapes on Monsøya.

We plan to invite to an information meeting at Gamleskolen this summer to inform house owners and others connected to Ny-Hellesund about both fire alarms and fire streets, and will soon provide more information about this meeting.

See news item on nrk.no here