The Slinningsbålet in Ålesund was in full flames on the night of Thursday. The Sankthans bonfire was built around six meters high and burned down 44 days early. Photo: Redningsselskapet / NTB
Of NTB | 05/09/2024 07:43:56
Accidents and natural disasters: The emergency services were notified of the fire on Slinningsholmen just after 2 o’clock on Ascension Day.
The well-known bonfire was built six meters high with around 2,000 pallets, volunteer leaders Marius Sagen Major and Viktor Almås Sunde tell Sunnmørsposten.
They believe the fire was caused by a small fire from earlier in the evening that spread, and they do not suspect that someone lit it on purpose. The police have opened an investigation case.
A fire boat and a rescue boat arrived to prevent the fire from spreading. They let the fire itself burn down, operator Elin Birgitte Sandnes in the Møre og Romsdal 110 central told NTB at 3.45am.
The fire crews saved some climbing equipment and pallets.
– They have control on the spot, said Sandnes.
Now the volunteers have to start again with the spectacular bonfire, which was originally supposed to burn on 22 June. The volunteers began construction at the beginning of May.
They write in social media that the fire should be 30 to 35 meters high. The fire is built from pallets, wooden boxes and barrels, and it has long traditions. in 2016 it set a world record for height of over 47.4 metres.
(© NTB)