This is the 412th most frequent Norwegian word.
brannen
"The fire."
In this sentence, "brannen" is used as the definite form of the noun "fire" (brann) to refer to a specific instance of a fire in the forest.
Brannen i skogen spredte seg raskt.
The fire in the forest spread quickly.
Here, "brannen" refers to a previously discussed or known fire that caused the destruction of the house, emphasizing its definite nature.
Etter brannen var huset helt ødelagt.
After the fire, the house was completely destroyed.
In this context, "brannen" is used as the definite form to specify they are talking about a particular fire whose origin is being questioned.