Fire service delays Snøheim closure after DNT threatens lawsuit
Wednesday 12th August 2026 on 19:31 in
Norway
Lesja and Dovre fire service has delayed a threatened Friday closure of Snøheim, a Norwegian Trekking Association cabin on Dovrefjell, after DNT challenged the order and threatened legal action, NRK reports.
The fire service had said the cabin could be closed immediately if several serious fire safety deficiencies were not corrected within a week. DNT argues that the order prohibiting use of the cabin is invalid.
In an 11 page letter sent on Tuesday evening, DNT lawyer Andreas C. Halse alleged errors in both the fire service’s handling of the case and its interpretation of the law. He demanded that the order be suspended while DNT’s appeal is considered.
Halse wrote that DNT could seek a temporary injunction or bring a lawsuit over the validity of the order. Preliminary estimates indicate that a closure would cost DNT about 2.5 million kroner in lost income during the current season, with the final loss potentially higher.
After reviewing the letter on Wednesday, the fire service decided to invite DNT to a clarification meeting with the municipality’s building authorities next week. The closure warning will remain on hold until after that meeting.
“We have received the letter and will now invite them to a clarification meeting with the municipality’s building authorities next week. We intend to grant them the postponement they requested until after the meeting,” fire inspector Pål Husom said.
Husom stressed that the fire service’s professional assessment remains unchanged.
“Our professional assessment is that fire safety at Snøheim has not been adequately addressed under the law,” he said.
DNT property manager Jan Erik Reiten welcomed the postponement. He said the organisation had also requested a meeting and that the disagreement between the fire service and DNT’s fire safety advisers made it important to avoid hasty conclusions.
Snøheim lies at the foot of the Snøhetta massif and has hosted overnight guests for many years. According to the fire service, the cabin’s fire safety has failed to meet regulatory requirements for several years.