More areas evacuated in Sweden due to wildfires

More areas evacuated in Sweden due to wildfires

18 July 2018

Published by https://www.thelocal.se/

SWEDEN – UPDATED: Swedish firefighters were still battling 61 different wildfires across the country on Friday afternoon, and in some areas residents have been asked to leave for their safety. Here’s where evacuations have taken place.

Älvdalen (Dalarna)

All residents in the area of the Trängslet shooting range in Älvdalen have been told to “vacate the area immediately”, following an earlier order which applied only to part of the area. The evacuation order also applied to the stretch of Lillhärdalsvägen between Kryptjärn and Haftorsbygget, as of Friday.

As The Local reported earlier this week, efforts to fight fires in Älvdalen have been delayed by the potential presence of undetonated shells in a military shooting range. Firefighters on the ground have been forced to keep a safe distance as a result.

Härjedalen and Bräcke (Jämtland)

Forest fires in Olingdal and Härjåsjön, Härjedalen meant residents were urged on Tuesday to vacate the area, as is anyone in nearby Olingsjövallen, with a fire in Lillåsen west of the Amsen lake at risk of spreading quickly. In the early hours of Thursday, residents of Hanåsen, Binnäset and Björnsjövallen in Bräcke municipality, Jämtland, were also told to evacuate. Both evacuation orders were still in place on Friday.

Those affected by smoke in the neighbouring municipality of Ragunda have been advised to keep windows and doors closed, but no evacuation order is in place.

Ljusdal (Gävleborg)

Fires are also a continuing problem in Gävleborg and the Enskogen forest in Ljusdal remains evacuated. Firefighters from other regions and even other countries have been called in to assist, with Denmark sending 22 to help.

Residents of Kårböle in Ljusdal were also told to evacuate their homes by 8am on Thursday.

And on Thursday afternoon, two more areas were included in the evacuation order: the Huskölen area, where residents are asked to head to the Sveg airport, and Finneby, where residents should leave their homes by 6pm.

All these evacuation orders were still in place on Friday.

Nordmaling (Västerbotten)

Swedish authorities had called for those in the direct proximity of Högbränna and Tallberg in Nordmaling municipality, Västerbotten, to evacuate the area on Wednesday, but this order was removed on Friday morning and a road between the two villages reopened.

“The fire has not been completely extinguished, but is under control,” a note on the municipality’s website said.