It has been burning along the railway since this afternoon, but emergency services have not been able to contain the fires, which are believed to have been started by sparks from passing trains applying brakes setting fire to the dry vegetation.
– It’s a stretch of maybe 12 kilometers that has burned in several places. We have put out the fire in the north and south, but right now in the middle of this stretch there is a fairly large fire that we are trying to put out, says Stefan Fröbom, the emergency response officer of the rescue service.
Right now there is a total stop in train traffic past the site, which means that no trains can pass between Ljusdal and Ånge.
Helicopters waterbomb the fire
At 10 pm, two helicopters had arrived and started water bombing the fire, but the situation is uncertain, and Stefan Fröbom does not dare to give any forecasts.
– The fire is approximately 600 by 400 metres, and we will see what effect the helicopters have, he says.
The stop in train traffic means that no trains going between Stockholm and Östersund can pass. SJ also does not give any forecast for when traffic can resume, and asks its passengers to keep an eye on it sj.se/trafikinformation.
The text is updated.