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On Christmas Eve, firefighters in Oslo had to respond to several fires.
– Throughout the night we have had a good number of orders. 25 assignments that have been handled since our 110 exchange. Four of them have actually been fires, Brigade Commander Håvard Bakken in the Oslo Fire and Rescue Service tells TV 2.
Brigade Commander Håvard Bakken at OBRE. Photograph: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB
Fortunately, none of the fires were very large.
– It’s probably dramatic enough for those who experience them, but there have been no major fires in the Oslo area, he says.
Calmer time before Christmas
The brigade commander says it has been a relatively normal Christmas Eve with a lot of driving at night and several alarms as a result of the Norwegians eating.
– There are probably some ribs that have a little deep fried crust, which has forced us to move, he says.
– How is traffic usually for you at Christmas compared to the rest of the year?
– It’s a little up and down how it goes. This year I would almost say that the run-up to Christmas has been a bit calmer than usual. We’ve discussed it a bit at work, and it’s probably mostly due to the fact that there has been a little less activity at the holiday table, says Bakken.
He says Christmas tables and aftermath often involve a lot of work for the fire service.
– When we sum up when the year ended, I think December 2020 has been a bit calmer overall than previous years, he says.
– So the crown has just made it a different year for you too?
– I do not have figures for the whole year here and now. There have probably even been calls, but exactly in the month of December it is probably because of these Christmas tables that have not existed, that have probably generated a little less allowances, he says.
The fire department warns: – It can end catastrophically
Fire safety
According to the Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergency Planning, December is the month of the year with the most fires, but there are several measures that can be taken to prevent the Christmas warmth from fading.
The brigade commander says the most important thing you can do is make sure you have good smoke alarms, and preferably they should be wired in series.
– For my part, I live in a completely normal house, but I have 12 smoke alarms in that house, which are connected in series. If one beeps, so does everyone else, he says.
Correct location
But it is not good to have smoke detectors. You also have to maintain them. It is important to verify that the batteries are working. In addition, it is advisable to vacuum regularly to avoid false alarms.
– And then it is important that they are placed correctly, so that you do not receive many unnecessary alarms. It will be a “wolf, wolf” effect, and we don’t want that either, he says.
A detail like having a smoke alarm in the attic can, for example, be of great importance.
– If you have an attic that runs between several houses, it is very smart that you receive a notification if smoke comes from the neighbor and goes to your own housing unit. Then you get an early warning. The most important thing is to make sure life and health are taken care of, but then you also have the opportunity to discover the fire when it is still small, says the brigade commander.
If the accident has come out
In addition to smoke alarms, it is important to have extinguishing agents in the home. And if the accident has come out, you need to assess whether you should use them.
– You should evaluate whether you can get in and out, but you shouldn’t put yourself in too great a danger either. When in doubt, you should go out there and make sure you call 110 and get help from the local fire service, Bakken says.
He says that it is difficult to give a concrete answer about when one should try to go extinct and when it is better to stay away.
– It must be taken into account in each individual case, but what you must bear in mind is that all fire smoke is toxic and dangerous. If you are exposed to a large amount of fire smoke, you should not go in and put out the fire, he says, adding:
– You must consider for yourself what kind of aid you have to get and what kind of knowledge you have about it, and if you have doubts, leave home and make sure of the warning.
