- Explosions at an ammunition storage facility have caused a large wildfire in a forest in western Berlin.
- The factory is used to store and detonate unexploded World War Two ordnance.
German police utilise the location in Grunewald forest to store and detonate unexploded ordnance, frequently from World War Two, which is still being dug up during construction.
The work of the firefighters have been hindered by periodic explosions that could be heard and seen from great distances.
Why the factory is located in a forest that is prone to fires is a subject of debate.
Due to the continued explosions, 140 firefighters are on the scene and have established a 1,000 m (3,280 ft) safety zone.
“We had detonations and combustions that resembled explosions. First responders were in grave risk of losing their lives due to flying debris, therefore they withdrew “Thomas Kirstein, a spokesman for the Berlin fire department, informed reporters on the site.
He went on to say that although the situation was “very exceptional,” Berliners were not in danger.
To remove the ammunition from the storage facility, which is controlled by the Berlin police’s weapons disposal department, an army tank has been dispatched.
According to German media, remote-controlled de-mining robots and drones are also being utilised to help assess the situation.
The fire had consumed 15,000 square metres of the forest as of Thursday afternoon, according to the officials.
The blast site is home to a variety of weapons, including fireworks. Videos posted online demonstrate the size of some of the explosions and pyrotechnics bursting in colour above the treetops.
A scorching heatwave is also being battled by firefighters; on Thursday, Berlin is expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius. According to Jan Thomsen from the Department for Environment, the forest is “bone dry” and suffering from the drought.
Authorities said that there were no firefighting helicopters available to assist since they were already occupied in eastern Germany, where there have been days of wildfires.
Investigations are being conducted to determine what triggered the dawn explosion that started the Grunewald forest fire.
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