Terrain fire out of control in Kinn: A forest fire helicopter has been requested

The 110 center in the West reports a ground fire in Kinn. The fire service is on the scene and working in the terrain.

– No control over the situation, says duty commander in the fire service, Jostein Steinsland-Hauge, to VG.

For the time being, there is no danger of construction.

– It is difficult to get to where the fire is, so it is demanding terrain for the crews to work in. About 20 fire crews on duty, says duty leader in the 110 central, Trond Landaas, to VG around 8.15pm.

The fire is burning upwards, and away from the buildings and the road at Refvikvatnet, says Landaas.

– There is no danger of construction, as it looks now.

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Kent Rune Bujerde (50) is among the closest neighbors to the fire, which is raging some distance from his farm.

– Right now we are standing 500 meters away and looking up at the heather fire. It’s burning up the mountainside.

But he is not particularly worried about the fire spreading to his farm.

– The police are here with several units, and the fire service is in place. The wind has died down and there has been some rain.

But just below the fire there are three residential buildings.

A forest fire helicopter has been requested to the scene. It should be in place at approximately 9 p.m. The fire service hopes it will be of great help.

– The fire service is on site and working, and we have sent a request to get a forest fire helicopter to the site. The nearest helicopter is in Sauda now, says Landaas at BT’s 110 switchboard.

One person has inhaled smoke. Health personnel check the person concerned.

Just before 19.30 there is no danger of buildings, says duty commander in the 110 central West, Jostein Steinsland-Hauge, to VG.

– The fire will be on the east side of Refvikvatnet in Kinn. It’s burning over a large area, I get reports from our people out in the field, says Steinsland-Hauge.

The fire service hopes to get the terrain fire under control eventually, but it is too early to say anything about evacuation in the area.

It should be around 500 meters from the fire to the nearest houses. They are currently not affected by the fire.

– It is the police who decide on a possible evacuation, says Steinsland-Hauge.

The fire has split, and is spreading north and south-east in the area.

– A full alarm has been sent out among the crews in Måløy, so there are a lot of resources at work. It is in a grazing area with a lot of low vegetation.

The watch commander says it is too early to speculate on the cause.

– There are many areas to extinguish this, but the most effective are probably heather whips and water.