Ten unsolved cabin fires near Ålesund – police link them to same perpetrator
Police are linking ten unsolved cabin fires in the Ålesund area to the same perpetrator. No one is currently suspected.
Police link ten cabin fires in Ålesund area to one unknown perpetrator
Two cabins burnt down to the ground on Emblemsfjellet in Ålesund during the night of Friday. NRK Norge reports that police now view the incident in connection with ten unsolved cabin fires in the same area over recent years.
Police prosecutor Magne Kvalsvik in Møre and Romsdal police district says there are clear similarities between the two fires on Emblemsfjellet and earlier fires on and near Sulafjellet and in Skodje.
– It is clear that when so many cabins burn in such a limited area as they do here, it becomes natural for us to view this in connection, says Kvalsvik.
He believes it is likely a single perpetrator is responsible.
– It is difficult to give any answer to that, but I believe it is likely that it is the same perpetrator, one or more, behind these fires, says the police prosecutor.
No technical evidence from the scenes
The investigation has so far yielded no technical evidence. The cabins are completely burnt down, which Kvalsvik describes as a very challenging starting point for investigators.
– Investigation of burnt sites where we have nothing whatsoever left gives us a very difficult starting point. We have no technical evidence from the scenes. Then we cannot say anything about how the fires may have been started or what time they began, he says.
Few witness observations from near the actual fire sites has also made it difficult to establish who was in the area.
– We have no concrete suspects at present, says Kvalsvik.
Car observed during night to Wednesday
Over the weekend, police received several tips related to the fires on Emblemsfjellet. One concrete lead is under investigation: a passenger car that was observed at 02.10 during the night to Wednesday, driving from the top of Eikenosen on Emblem.
– If anyone has information about this, please contact us, says Kvalsvik.
Police have searched the area using a drone, dog patrol and personnel to look for evidence, objects or persons. Video surveillance from surrounding areas is also being obtained.
Ten investigators and assistance from Kripos
The cabin fire case has been highly prioritised in Møre and Romsdal police district for some time. At all times, at least ten investigators have worked on the cases, according to the police prosecutor.
Since August, police have received assistance from Kripos with investigation leadership and analysis.
– Kripos helps to identify investigative steps and their implementation. They can discuss and deliberate the case internally, and then see if it can help move the case forward, says Kvalsvik.
Cabins located remotely – fire service gave up extinguishing
The common feature of most of the affected cabins is that they are located off the beaten track and without mains electricity. The cabins on Emblemsfjellet also had no road access all the way up, which made extinguishing impossible.
Fire chief Sindre Egeness in Ålesund municipality confirms that the concerns around the cabin fire case have been noted.
– When it burns far from established roads and water sources, it complicates the extinguishing work. It becomes more difficult to get the equipment we need, and if it is far enough away we will not be able to get sufficient extinguishing equipment to the scene, says Egeness.
A series of fires over several years
The fires on Emblemsfjellet are only a few kilometres from Sulafjellet, where seven unsolved fires have taken place over recent years. Among them is the fire at Olav Hoff's property, who on 25 March 2023 came to his cabin and found it burnt down. Later his shed on the same property also caught fire.
In January 2025, a cabin from 2017 and the annex to Jørgen Kjerstad on Sulafjellet burnt down. The cabin was fifty metres from several other cabins.
In addition, an old barn in Storsteinmyra in Langevåg in Sula, a cabin by the old Straumsbruene in Skodje, an abandoned house on Fiskarstranda in Sula and a holiday home on the south side of the foot of the mountain have all been affected by fires that remain unsolved.
Cabin owners urged to install monitoring
Several cabin owners in the area have already installed surveillance cameras in hopes of deterring a potential arsonist. Police prosecutor Kvalsvik now urges all cabin owners in the Ålesund area to do the same.
– I would urge all those who own cabins to get surveillance set up on their cabins, he says.
He says he understands that many cabin owners in the area are concerned following the long series of unexplained fires.
Source: NRK Norge