In the middle of the heat wave, a forest fire broke out north of Berlin on Wednesday night. Near the federal highway 96 at the entrance to Nassenheide, a forest area of about 6000 square meters was in flames until the morning. This was announced by the Integrated Control Center Northeast in Brandenburg via the official warning portal on the Internet.

According to the fire was associated with a strong smoke development. Residents were called to keep doors and windows closed. Motorists should pass the fire site with special caution and attention, it said. Nassenheide is north of Oranienburg, a good 20 kilometers from the Berlin city limits.

By 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, the fire had been extinguished, a spokesman for the regional control center said. The fire department then lifted the danger warning.

Due to the high temperatures and persistent drought, the highest forest fire danger level 5 is now in effect throughout Brandenburg. Level 4 was still in effect in the Oberhavel district the day before, but the warning has now been tightened here as well.

In the forest fire center, there are always new alerts for smaller fires, reported the forest fire protection officer of the state, Raimund Engel, on Tuesday to the German Press Agency.

Because of the "very high fire danger," everything that could lead to a fire in the forest and in the fields should be refrained from, an official danger notice said. "The smallest spark can cause a disaster. Human activity causes more than 90 percent of all wildfires."

In particular, no smoking and no fires should be lit, even near forests, the statement continued. Neither should smoldering cigarettes be thrown out of cars. Fires should be reported immediately to the fire department or the police.

Image by Jonas Augustin