Fire destroys houses in historic Norway village

A fire tore through the historic town of Laerdalsoyri, in western Norway, overnight destroying more than 23 buildings and sending as many as 300 people to hospital, local authorities said.

The town is known for its well-preserved 18th and 19th century wooden houses.

The fire broke out shortly before 11pm yesterday and spread in an historic area of wooden buildings, according to a statement from the municipality.

Fire fighters were still working to put out the blaze early today, live pictures on TV2 showed.

“Many families have lost their homes,” Mayor Jan Geir Solheim said in a statement. “Some inhabitants have been exposed to a lot of smoke. The people in Laerdalsoyri have been evacuated.”

At least 100 emergency workers and helicopters were called in to fight the fire in the town. The town is located in Laerdal, on Sognefjord about 300 kilometres northwest of Oslo and 200km northeast of Bergen.

The local authorities said that as of 6.30am the fire was considered “stable,” while there was danger it could intensify again.

At least 23 buildings were destroyed with many more damaged. Laerdalsoyri has about 1,200 residents.

Bloomberg