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Danish police arrest man who set fire to own apartment

A 27-year-old man from Grenaa in Jutland has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire broke out at in a residential building in the town early on Wednesday.

Danish police arrest man who set fire to own apartment
Photo: Per Oxenholt/Ritzau Scanpix

The man lives in the first-floor apartment in which the fire was started, said duty officer Stig Heidemann of East Jutland Police.

“The reason we suspect that he is behind the fire is that he behaved strangely when we arrived at the scene. He wanted to go back into the apartment and almost began hitting officers so he could get in. That is not normal,” Heidemann said.

“We know a bit about him already. Not because of arson, but for small inconsequential things,” the officer added.

The fire was reported to police at 1:37am.

When police and fire services arrived at the location, they found several bottles lying on the ground outside.

“Some of the bottles had contained flammable liquids,” Heidemann said.

28 people were evacuated from the building. Nobody was injured.

“It could have ended very badly. Luckily, most people were able to get out, and we had to go around waking quite a few,” the duty officer said.

The residents were temporarily accommodated at a nearby retirement home on Wednesday morning.

“We are in the process of finding out who can go back into their apartments and who can't,” Heidemann said.

Five to six apartments are too damaged by the fire for residents to return to them, police and fire service sources said.

The 27-year-old is expected to be brought for a preliminary hearing Wednesday on arson charges.

READ ALSO: Denmark sports arena fire started by weed remover


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FIRE

Danish firefighters to help tackle blaze in Greenland

38 firefighters from Denmark have been sent to Greenland in an attempt to put out a wildfire currently burning on the Arctic island.

Danish firefighters to help tackle blaze in Greenland
Ukkusissat in western Greenland. File photo: Linda Kastrup/Ritzau Scanpix

The firefighters will travel to Greenland, and autonomous territory of Denmark, in a Hercules aircraft supplied by the Danish military.

They will help local emergency services to fight wildfires which have blazed since the beginning of July and are persisting in peaty subterranean areas between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq, in the western part of Greenland.

Authorities in Greenland took the step of requesting help from Denmark last weekend.

“I think it’s important for us to help and support Greenland when they ask for our help,” Danish defence minister Trine Bramsen said.

“We have a very special bond throughout our kingdom, so I listen extra carefully when the call for help comes from Greenland,” Bramsen added.

The Danish contingent consists of 16 national service soldiers, 8 volunteers and 14 specialist full-time firefighters, said Jens Oddershede, leader of the international section of the Danish Emergency Management Agency (Beredskabsstyrelsen).

“They will be particularly tasked with establishing a breakage line to contain the fire and stop it spreading further,” Oddershede said.

The Danish mission is expected to last around 14 days and cost up to 3 million kroner.

Police in Greenland believe the wildfire to have started on July 8th, caused by a smoking oven.

READ ALSO: Danish climate body wrongly reported Greenland heat record

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