Fire in an apartment block on Nattland in Bergen

The fire service announces control just after midnight. 14 residents have been evacuated.

At 22:38, the emergency services received a report of a fire in a block of flats in Birkelundsbakken, where flames were reported from a window.

– All the emergency services moved out. When they arrived, there was already a full fire in an apartment, says the police task leader at the scene, Øystein Magnussen.

The fire went through the roof and the wind also made extinguishing work challenging.

At 00:06, the fire service at X reports that they have the fire under control.

It was unclear for a period whether there were people inside the apartment where the fire started. But just before midnight, task leader Øystein Magnussen says that no one is injured or missing.

– The fire service has searched the apartment in question without finding anyone.

He says it is too early to say anything about the cause of the fire.

– The police will open a case and start an investigation.

When the fire service was notified of the fire, they pressed the big button, according to duty commander Jostein Steinsland-Hauge.

Crews from four fire stations moved out. The fire brigade also went in with smoke divers.

At 23.03, duty commander Steinsland-Hauge stated that the fire service had searched all the apartments, except where the fire started.

There are 16 housing units registered at the address.

The building is supposed to have four floors, and the fire is said to have started in an apartment on the top floor.

– People have been evacuated from several apartments in the building that is on fire, as well as adjacent buildings, says operations manager Dan Erik Johannessen in the West police district.

A total of 14 have been evacuated. All live in the block where the fire started.

– We have been in contact with the municipality, which provides buses and further handling of the evacuees, says Johannessen.

At 00.29, the police inform that the evacuees will be accommodated in a hotel.

The apartment where the fire started is completely damaged, while it is too early to say anything about water and smoke damage to the other apartments, according to the police on the scene.

Jan Terje Langø lives in the block next door: – I was lying on the sofa and smelled smoke. When I looked out, it was a hideous life here. Then I packed a bag and got out.

Langø is outside the barrier and hopes he will be able to enter again soon. – My block is undamaged, but there could be smoke damage, he says.