Children’s drawings reveal grief and joy after Krokstadelva fire

Children evacuated after the Krokstadelva fire expressed both distress and happiness through drawings made at an evacuation centre, Dagbladet reports. The fire destroyed more than 100 homes and affected many families with children.

The drawings are now being kept at the Red Cross offices in central Drammen. They were made by children who stayed at the evacuation centre at Scandic Hotel Ambassadeur in the days after the fire broke out on the afternoon of July 17.

Thomas Evjen, chairman of the Red Cross, said volunteers gained insight into what the children had experienced through conversations and their drawings.

“It is wonderful that the children can use drawing in this way. At the same time, it is moving to see what they draw, especially the pictures of the fire,” Evjen said.

The drawings vary widely. Some show flames and firefighters, while others depict flowers, rainbows and hearts. Evjen said some appeared to show a happy summer day, while others clearly showed a fire.

One seemingly simple drawing shows a yellow square with something red inside. Above it are five short words that mean “So we came from holiday.” Evjen said the drawing became powerful when the text was read, as the child appeared to have seen the destruction when the family returned from holiday.

Many affected families had been away when the fire started. Some did not realise their homes had been reduced to ruins until they returned and were stopped by cordons at the scene.

Another drawing that made a strong impression on the volunteers was a balloon covered in pictures. As it was turned, it showed an ambulance stretcher with a person on it, a burning house, a house that had not yet caught fire and another burning house.

Evjen said the drawings together showed a broad range of emotions. Children had stayed at a hotel with toys, even as they were dealing with the consequences of the fire.

“I think the drawings show both the grief they carry and the joy of being on a hotel trip,” he said.

He said some children might not fully understand what has happened until they leave the hotel and realise they will not be returning home.

One drawing also features Bjørnis, a fire service mascot who visited Scandic Hotel Ambassadeur to comfort the children. The Drammen region fire service said on Facebook that children can find fires and accidents frightening, and that firefighters bring teddy bears in their vehicles to give to children involved in emergencies.

Evjen said the drawings showed how important it would be to give the children space and support in the period ahead.

“It is a myth that children cope simply because they are children. They also understand what is happening,” he said.