Fire engulfs Norwegian garage after fuel spill ignites during car repair

A major fire broke out at a garage and petrol station in Øksfjord, northern Norway, after a spark ignited spilled fuel while the owner worked on a car, local media report.

The blaze began when a spark from a vehicle repair set alight gasoline on the engine, Harald Olafson, owner of Øksfjord Bilservice, told iFinnmark. Flames quickly spread to his clothing before a colleague extinguished them, but the fire soon engulfed the building.

“It happened so fast that my feet caught fire before I could react,” Olafson said. “First the car burned, then the building. After 8–10 minutes, it was completely ablaze.”

The garage, which also operates as a petrol station, was destroyed. Olafson, who had worked there for 32 years, described the loss as devastating. “That’s a long time to build something,” he said.

Norwegian news agency NTB first reported the fire on Thursday afternoon.