Forest fire: Area also suspected of being explosive ordnance

Created: 06/17/2022Updated: 06/17/2022 8:23 p.m

Fire and smoke can be seen in the background.

© Joerg Carstensen/dpa

About four years ago, the flames raged in the forest southwest of Berlin for days.

Now firefighters are fighting a fire again in the region - under similarly difficult conditions.

Potsdam/Treuenbrietzen – A forest fire broke out near Frohnsdorf near Treuenbrietzen (Potsdam-Mittelmark).

The fire had spread to about 60 hectares by the evening, reported the spokeswoman for the district, Andrea Metzler, on Friday evening.

According to her, the fire brigade, police, army and technical relief organization (THW) were on site.

A total of 380 forces are deployed.

A massive cloud of smoke can be seen as far south as Brandenburg, said forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel.

Civil protection warned the population in the area around Treuenbrietzen, Linthe and Niemegk to keep windows and doors closed.

The district spokeswoman described the situation as dynamic.

"The wind is changing, it's very dry again," said Metzler.

So far, however, no towns are in danger, she emphasized.

The use of the firefighters could be difficult because it is also an area in the suspected ordnance area, explained Engel.

Areas are affected where there was already a fire in 2018.

"There have already been detonations," reported Engel.

Therefore, the extinguishing work could only be done from the edge.

Engel assumes that the extinguishing work will continue on Saturday.

"One can only hope that the wind will calm down a bit," he said.

According to district spokeswoman Metzler, water cannons were requested.

In 2018, flames raged for several days in the forest southwest of Berlin in Treuenbrietzen.

Around 400 hectares of forest were destroyed in the forest fire.

Due to the major fire, more than 500 people had to leave the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen.

dpa