Norwegian Cheese Fire Shuts Tunnel

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21141244

Norway goat cheese fire closes tunnel

A road tunnel in Norway has been closed - by a lorry-load of burning cheese.

About 27 tonnes of caramelised brown goat cheese - a delicacy known as Brunost - caught light as it was being driven through the Brattli Tunnel at Tysfjord, northern Norway, last week.

The fire raged for five days and smouldering toxic gases were slowing the recovery operation, officials said.

The tunnel - which is said to be badly damaged - is likely to remain closed for several weeks, they added.

"We can't go in until it's safe," geologist Viggo Aronsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Police officer Viggo Berg said the high concentration of fat and sugar in the cheese made it burn "almost like petrol if it gets hot enough".

The lorry driver had noticed the fire in his trailer and abandoned it about 300m (1,000ft) from the southern entrance. No-one was hurt.

Kjell Bjoern Vinje, of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, said it was the first time he could remember cheese catching fire on Norwegian roads.

"I didn't know that brown cheese burns so well," he said.

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[Bella Fortuna]

Ohhhh the humanity!

[Thinking Aloud]

Now if the following truck had been carrying pork...

Oh sweet savour...

[Audley Strange]

Dammit I read shuts as sluts and was hoping for some horror.

[normal]

It's not a delicacy, it's an every day thing to use on bread

[normal]

Footage of the brown cheese fire: http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nordland/1.10878624

[cronus]

Gonna have some cheese on toast....

[mistermack]

Ohhhh the humanity!

Ohhhh, the goateriaty !

Mind you, 27 tons is a lot of goat-years worth of goat cheese.
So my nan told me anyway.

[JimC]

It's not a delicacy, it's an every day thing to use on bread

Is it nice grilled?

[Callan]

It's not a delicacy, it's an every day thing to use on bread

Is it nice grilled?

If you have a taste for cheese-flavoured fudge, yes.

[normal]

It's not a delicacy, it's an every day thing to use on bread

Is it nice grilled?

I've never tried. It sounds like a crazy thing to do.

But it is awesome on bread with either just milk or a cup of hot chocolate. Mmmmm... I think I'll go get some right now!

[normal]

Mmmm, oh sweet mother of all things goaty! This is so good!

[Mysturji]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21141244

[Mysturji]

[Faithfree]

I buy goat cheese occasionally, it's always white, and it's extremely nom - but I've never had this brown stuff - a new gastronomic experience to try (with fire extinguisher handy).