The traditional Midsummer bonfire went up in smoke – now the money is pouring in

– It is absolutely sick. We are extremely appreciative of the support we have received following the incident. It’s a huge motivation for us, says the proud bonfire manager Viktor Almås Sunde Sunnmørsposten.

According to NRK on the evening of Christ’s Ascension Day, over NOK 75,000 was collected through the splicing service Spleis. According to the initiators, they primarily need pallets for a new bonfire, but the money will also go towards food and equipment.

It was around 2 o’clock on Thursday night that the emergency services were notified of the fire on Slinningsholmen. The well-known bonfire was built six meters high with around 2,000 pallets, Sunde and volunteer partner Marius Sagen Major told Sunnmørsposten.

– A small fire spread

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.

– So far, no information has been received about the cause of the fire, says operations manager Per Åge Ferstad in the Møre and Romsdal police district to the newspaper.

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.

– Will make the city proud

Now the volunteer group is getting financial help 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. It is built from pallets, wooden boxes and barrels, and has long traditions. in 2016 it set a world record with a height of over 47.4 metres.

On Thursday afternoon, the fire gang was in place at Slinningsodden to start the fire again.

– We will make the city proud. And the goal of a 35-metre-high bonfire remains, we will manage that, says Sunde to the newspaper.