Report on tent fire at Sessvollmoen Military Camp in Ullensaker municipality on 22 March 2025
Defence report 2025/02
The tent fire occurred during the use of an M94 tent stove (Multifuel) as part of preparations for a Home Guard refresher exercise at the Sessvollmoen military camp. A soldier discovered fuel leaking from the stove, which quickly caught fire and caused the tent to burn down. There were two people inside the tent when the fire started and seven people were exposed to smoke, but no one was seriously injured in the incident. The NSIA concludes that the fire was probably due to a technical error with the tent stove combined with failure to carry out an equipment readiness check (MBK). The investigation also showed that fires associated with the use of the M94 tent stove are a known issue within the Armed Forces.
Following technical examinations of the tent stove and its associated equipment after the incident, the NSIA was unable to determine the exact source of the leak. A leak, regardless of its origin, indicates a technical fault in either the tent stove or the fuel hose.
The tent stove was assembled in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The Armed Forces require the completion of an equipment readiness check (MBK) before using the M94 tent stove. In this case, the MBK was not performed prior to use, even though it was specified in the exercise order. This was connected with organisational challenges related to moving the exercise area and the balance between assigned tasks and available resources within the Home Guard. The NSIA has highlighted the same issue in several previous investigations in the Armed Forces.
The investigation points to systemic safety challenges in the Armed Forces, including nearly 50 fires and fire incidents involving the use of M94 tent stoves. In addition, it is pointed to a need for better overview and learning from unwanted incidents, and previous safety recommendations from the NSIA in this connection.
No safety recommendations are issued as a result of this investigation.
This report is in Norwegian only.
The tent was completely destroyed. Photo: Private
Published 13.10.2025
Facts
| Location | Sessvollmoen |
| Occurrence date | 22.03.2025 |
| Category of Occurrence | Incident |
| Defence branch | The Norwegian Home Guard |
| Incident type | Explosion, fire |
| County | Akershus |