Remains have been discovered in the ruins of a house fire on Bømlo island, off the west coast of Norway, that occurred in the early hours of Monday morning. A man who lived at the property had been reported missing following the blaze.
The discovery was made during forensic investigations on Wednesday, according to a press release from the Sør-Vest police district. “During the technical investigation on Wednesday, remains were found. It is too early to conclude whether these are the remains of the man who lived in the house, but we have not been able to contact him, and we have not received reports of anyone else being missing in the area,” said police attorney Astrid Meringen Schjetne in the statement.
The house was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene in Mosterhamn. Jens Helge Habbestad, the incident commander with Bømlo fire and rescue, told NRK on the night of the fire that the high temperatures prevented firefighters from entering the building. “When the temperatures are so high, we have no opportunity to go inside. External extinguishing is the only option,” he said.
Police are now conducting an autopsy to identify the deceased and determine the cause of death. “It may take time to get these answers,” Schjetne stated.
A dog belonging to the Kripos, Norway’s national criminal investigation service, was also found dead at the scene.
The initial fire was reported early Monday morning. Police were alerted to a smaller, separate fire earlier that same day at a nursing home on Bømlo, where staff quickly extinguished a blaze on a patient’s room, resulting in only minor damage to bedding. No one was injured in that incident, and police were not dispatched to the scene but followed up with staff.
The investigation into the house fire is ongoing, with investigators describing the site as challenging to examine due to the extensive damage. The relatives of the missing man have been informed of the discovery of remains.
