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Smoke from the forest fire rises above the village of Lichtensee
Photo: Sebastian Willnow / dpa
According to the authorities, the major fire in the Gohrischheide in Saxony, which had spread to Brandenburg, was deliberately set.
Residues of fire accelerants used to ignite surfaces were found in three places in Saxony.
The police and public prosecutor's office in Dresden are investigating suspected arson against previously unknown perpetrators.
According to initial estimates, damage to property was around 13.5 million euros.
Due to the extreme drought and the dense vegetation, the fire spread quickly over an area of at least 900 hectares to the north and across the state border to Brandenburg.
"It's still burning in part of the Gohrischheide," said head of operations Matthias Heydel of the dpa news agency.
In the rest of the area there are embers and fire watch to prevent the flare-up.
kha/dpa
