Ran to the scene with a fire extinguisher in hand

The car burst into flames after a short time.

The car burst into flames after a short time. Photo/Sent to mbl.is

A fire broke out in a car in a residential area in Seyðisfjörður last night. The driver of the car escaped without injury. Elvar Snær Kristjánsson, the chief of the Múlaþing fire department in Seyðisfjörður, was the first to arrive at the scene as the fire was only about 50 meters from his home. He ran to the scene with a fire extinguisher in hand.

"When I open the front door at home, I just hear a whistle and see smoke. Something had happened in the electrical equipment that explains the whistle. I grabbed the fire extinguisher with me and I didn't see the man at first glance. So I went to the car and tried to keep the heat off me while I made sure that no one was in the car," Kristjánsson says.

Came to the scene on cross-country skis

At the same time, more people had been called out from the fire department. Traffic was heavy last night due to heavy snowfall. Kristjánsson's colleague saw the best way to get to the fire station, where the fire truck is, by using skiis.

The fire truck was successfully brought to the scene.

The fire truck was successfully brought to the scene. Photo/Sent to mbl.is

"It was surprisingly easy to get the fire truck to the area and soon after that, we managed to put out the biggest fire," Kristjánsson says.

According to him, the car was not fully engulfed in flames when he arrived, but it was getting there.

"I used the fire extinguisher to push the flames away from me to get to the car to check if anyone was inside."

He believed that nearby houses were not in danger. "Fortunately, it was calm, but the nearest house is maybe ten meters away and if there had been wind, the danger would have been greater."

The road over the heath was closed and little could be done

He says that such incidents are a clear reminder of how important Fjarðargöng tunnel could be for the settlement. The fire department is in collaboration with Egilsstaðir, but Fjarðarheiði heath was closed last night.

There was smoke coming out of the car after the …

There was smoke coming out of the car after the fire had been extinguished. Photo/Sent to mbl.is

“On a good day, they are maybe 20-30 minutes here, but if the heath is impassable, we are just on our own here,” Kristjánsson says.

“We have a utility truck and a tanker truck and are quite well equipped, but if a big fire comes, we could get into trouble.”

Childbirth last night

The night was eventful in Seyðisfjörður and a woman gave birth in the town.

“It is very unfortunate that something like this happens when Fjarðarheiði heath is impassable. We have doctors and nurses in the town, but it is a bad situation not to be able to get anywhere. "This birth went well as far as I know, but you can't expect too much when circumstances are like this," Kristjánsson concludes.

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