Rathen (dpa / sn) - After the fire below the famous bastion in Saxon Switzerland, the police are investigating arson. Cause investigators are at the scene of the fire, neither negligent nor intentional arson can be ruled out, said a spokesman for the police department on Tuesday morning on request. The head of the fire brigade had told the MDR that the outbreak at night was a clear indication of negligent arson. "It actually looks to me as if someone was standing on the Bastei Bridge and throwing down a cigarette butt from above. But that will show what the investigations reveal."
The fire broke out on Monday night. More than 100 firefighters were deployed to get the flames and embers under control. According to the district office, the work had been very difficult because there was a fire on a steep slope with a height difference of 190 meters. For the most part, the emergency services had to secure themselves with ropes. Two of them injured themselves. The fire had spread over an area of about 2500 square meters. Among other things, water from the Elbe was used to extinguish the fire.
