Fire and explosion in Berlin: fire in Grunewald poses challenges for the fire brigade

One day after the fire broke out in Berlin's Grunewald forest, the fire brigade is still fighting the flames and still has a number of problems to solve.

Fire and explosion in Berlin: fire in Grunewald poses challenges for the fire brigade

One day after the fire broke out in Berlin's Grunewald forest, the fire brigade is still fighting the flames and still has a number of problems to solve.

According to the fire brigade, extinguishing work around the police blast site where the fire broke out is life-threatening because ammunition is stored there that could detonate at any time. On Friday, from 7 a.m., they want to discuss how to proceed, said fire department spokesman James Klein. After that, it would probably be easier to estimate until when further impairments to traffic can be expected. The cause of the fire is still unclear - and also whether it burned first or exploded first.

support from other states

The fire broke out early Thursday morning. Explosions could be heard before sunrise, and flames were blazing on and around the blast site in Grunewald. The fire spread significantly over the course of the day in the bone-dry forest area. The use of a camera-equipped and remote-controlled special robot from the Bundeswehr, with which the situation on the blast site was to be investigated, had to be canceled in the evening.

Fire brigade spokesman Klein said early Friday morning that the fire brigade had received support from other federal states and from the Bundeswehr in the form of four armored tracked vehicles. This includes, for example, a fire fighting vehicle, which gives the emergency services new options.

The fire brigade had drawn a restricted circle of around 1000 meters around the blasting site on Thursday. The first extinguishing work was carried out within the security zone late Thursday afternoon.

Another spokesman for the Berlin fire brigade, Thomas Kirstein, said it was unlikely that the fire would spread beyond the 1,000-meter exclusion zone. Task forces had watered the adjacent forest areas to make it more difficult for the flames to spread.

Restricted traffic

According to the fire brigade, residential areas are not in danger from the fire, the nearest residential buildings are at least two kilometers away. The area was cordoned off extensively. The Avus motorway and parts of the regional, long-distance and S-Bahn traffic were also affected. Restrictions were announced until at least 6 a.m. Friday morning.

First of all, an assessment of the situation at the blasting site was necessary on Friday, said fire department spokesman Thomas Kirstein in an rbb special on the major fire in southwest Berlin on Thursday evening. "In the morning hours, the Bundeswehr, together with the Berlin police, will try to take pictures there so that the explosives expert can carry out an assessment," said Kirstein. It can be assumed that the blocking of the Avus motorway, for example, may not even be lifted during the day.

In the meantime, the discussion has begun as to whether the police detonation site in Grunewald is in the right place. Berlin's CDU head of state Kai Wegner has called for negotiations with Brandenburg about a joint explosive site for both countries. The right consequences must be drawn from the fire in Grunewald on and around the Berlin police blast site, Wegner said in the rbb "Abendschau" on Thursday. "Such a blast site does not belong in a local recreation area."

Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey announced that she would like to talk about the location. "We have to think about how we will deal with this explosive site in the future and whether such a place is the right place in Berlin," said the SPD politician after a visit to Grunewald, for which she had interrupted her vacation. Giffey announced talks with Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) about the possibilities for such cooperation in the metropolitan region.