A brush fire broke out near Elliðavatn on Sunday and spread rapidly, reaching Guðmundarlundur and the Þingahverfi neighbourhood in Kópavogur, reports RÚV. Fire crews fought the fire for around four hours, assisted by police and search and rescue teams.

The Capital Area Fire Brigade brought the fire under control by 20:00 after it ignited near Elliðavatn in the afternoon. Initially, the incident was believed to be minor and a single unit was sent to assess the scene. It soon became clear, however, that the fire was far more serious. All on-duty firefighters were deployed and additional personnel were called in.

There have been numerous wildfires in the capital area recently. The ground is extremely dry, as there has been almost no precipitation since the start of the year. Yesterday’s fire was the largest so far.

Light sleet or rain is forecast intermittently, with showers expected today. However, it is uncertain whether this will be enough to properly moisten the soil. Both Birgir Finnsson, Acting Chief Fire Officer for the Capital Area, and Kristinn H. Þorsteinsson, Managing Director of the Kópavogur Forestry Association, warned the public and urged people to exercise extreme caution.