Berlin: Fire at police munitions facility in Grunewald

Berlin, Aug 04: A fire broke out in Berlin's Grunewald forest early on Wednesday following an explosion at a police munitions detonation site, with the German capital still facing searing summer temperatures.

Berlin's firefighting service announced the blaze on Twitter, saying "there is currently a fire in Grunewald and explosions are taking place."

"The first responders have confirmed the fire and also called in major reinforcements. The Berlin Fire Department is on site with more than 100 personnel," the fire department wrote.

National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said that the fire was having an impact on local and long-distance trains.

A stretch of Autobahn highway between Spanischer Allee and Hüttenweg was also closed in both directions, as were two smaller streets, according to the local traffic authorities.

"The situation is not yet clear," a spokesman for the fire department told news agency dpa, adding that fire crews had retreated around 1,000 meters from the source of the fire and the explosions. He said that reinforcements, including military specialists, had been called in.

"Currently we are in the consultation and observation phase," he said.

A police spokesman said it was not yet clear how the explosions had taken place. The site is used to store and conduct controlled explosions of ammunition or weaponry secured by Berlin police's weapons disposal units.

The 3,000-hectare Grunewald is one of Berlin's largest green spaces, starting on the western edge of the city and stretching out towards Potsdam.

Source: DW