Wildfire warning issued for eastern Norway as dry conditions persist

A wildfire warning has been issued for large parts of eastern and southern Norway, with meteorologists urging residents to avoid open flames as dry conditions increase the risk of grass and heather fires.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute announced the warning on Friday, covering Innlandet, all counties in eastern Norway, and Agder, Dagbladet reports. The alert follows several recent wildfires in southern Norway, including a blaze near Bergen last week that prompted the evacuation of 30 homes.

“It’s a fairly large area affected,” said duty meteorologist Johanne Ordahl. “Inland regions, all eastern counties, and Agder could experience wildfires in the coming days.”

The warning, issued in coordination with fire services, prohibits open fires and advises following local authorities’ instructions. It remains in effect until significant rainfall occurs, with no immediate precipitation forecast.

“We’ve seen several grass and heather fires, so we decided, together with the fire services, to issue this warning,” Ordahl said. She reminded the public of Norway’s seasonal fire ban from April 15 to September 15, which restricts open flames in or near forests and open land.

The dry spell is expected to continue, with temperatures dropping below 10°C in many areas over the weekend as a low-pressure system moves in from the west. While southern and eastern regions will stay mostly dry, western and northern Norway may see rain showers.

Looking ahead to Norway’s Constitution Day on May 17, temperatures could rise to around 15°C—”perfect bunad [traditional costume] weather,” according to Ordahl—though no major heatwave is expected.