Norway's forest fire risk index questioned after July blaze in Agder

Experts warned that Norway's forest fire risk index may give misleading information in open terrain. Henrik Espedal, a fire‑risk cartographer, said the index “does not capture how quickly drying spreads in open areas” and can underestimate danger where grass and heather dominate.

A forest fire ignited on 21 July in Birkenes, Agder, destroying several hundred decares of forest. The Meteorological Institute issued an orange fire‑danger warning for parts of Agder and Telemark, urging people to avoid open flames and follow local authority instructions. Fire chief Jan Røilid noted that temperature swings affect the index and that “more dew at night when night temperatures are low relative to daytime highs influences the fire‑danger index.”

The fire services used thermal cameras to locate hotspots and eventually brought the blaze under control after three to four days. Statistisk meteorologist Leonidas Tsopouridis emphasized that the index is only one tool and that official fire warnings and local authority alerts take precedence over it.