Late on Saturday evening, the municipality decided to close down and evacuate the entire city center, and the flames are a threat to the old protected wooden housing development.
- There is a fire in a protection-classified dense wooden building.
This is one of the worst things that can happen in Kragerø, says Morten Meen Gallefoss to the newspaper Varden.
However, the building where the fire started does not belong to the protected houses.
There, open flames have been seen from the roof.
From that building, the fire has spread to another house, according to NRK.
No information on casualties
Around 30 people have been evacuated, but there are no reports of any injuries.
The municipality has gone into staff mode and opened a reception center for evacuees in a hotel.
National antiquarian Hanna Geiran says that the city has great cultural heritage value.
- This is very worrying.
Kragerø has one of the country's 200 dense wooden house environments and the buildings represent our common history.
It's also a nice and much-loved area to be in. It's a city that has a rich history and it's linked to artists and shipping, she tells VG.