Enlarge image
The fire brigade packs up: These hoses are no longer needed either
Photo: Fabian Sommer / dpa
After the major fire that broke out in Berlin's Grunewald about a week ago, the fire brigade is gradually withdrawing the emergency services.
Federal police helicopters had cooled the area from the air with water drops in the past few days, and the fire brigade said that the measures on site could now have been largely reduced.
Deployed helicopters, a fire fighting vehicle and robots are therefore no longer required.
However, a fire watch should remain at the site until at least Sunday.
The restricted area, reduced to 550 meters – initially it was 1000 meters – continues to exist.
There are "some so-called hotspots that require the maintenance of a reduced blocking circle," the fire brigade explained.
According to the police, they are still using three water cannons in the forest around the site to irrigate the dry forest so that the fire cannot flare up again from hidden embers.
The explosives expert of the police controls the explosive site itself.
Experts from the police's explosive ordnance clearance service entered the square in the morning - everything had previously been cordoned off due to the risk of explosion.
"It's now about restoring the functionality of the site," said the police.
The explosives experts want to get an overview of the damage.
In the fire a week ago, the detonations had thrown cartridges around and some old World War II bombs were torn from their holders.
LKA determined
Fire investigators from the State Criminal Police Office want to clarify how the fire broke out and whether it was possibly arson.
For security reasons, the site will continue to be guarded during the day and at night.
In the night of last Thursday, there were explosions at the detonation site where World War II bombs and confiscated fireworks are stored.
They triggered a major fire, in the meantime it was burning on about 50 hectares.
The risk of explosion made extinguishing the fire very difficult.
The Avus motorway was closed because of the fire, and train traffic was also interrupted.
However, the railway line was released again on Saturday and the highway on Wednesday.
sak/dpa/AFP