EFFORTS to extinguish a wildfire the size of 500 football pitches in Germany have been complicated by Second World War ammunition found buried in the area.
The fire is spreading south west of the German capital of Berlin, leading to the evacuation of three villages.
Brandenburg governor Dietmar Woidke said: “The ammunition is very dangerous, because one cannot step on the ground and therefore one cannot get close to the fire,”
More than 500 people were forced to leave their homes on Thursday night because of the fire in the Treuenbrietzen region, around 30 miles outside of Berlin.
“The fire continues to be a big threat,” Woidke said. “But we will do everything to protect people’s property.”
Local lawmaker Christian Stein said there had already been several detonations due to the ammunition, and firefighters were not allowed to enter some areas.
Authorities are trying to douse the flames in those parts using helicopters and water cannons.
The fire started on Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through the dry pine forests. By the evening, the authorities had evacuated the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen.
“Something like that, we didn’t even experience during the war,” 76-year-old Anita Biedermann said as police told her to collect her jacket, ID and important medications from home before taking her to a nearby gym for the night.
Overnight, winds blew the smoke to Berlin, where people in some neighbourhoods were asked to keep their windows closed. Emergency services received calls from concerned Berliners who were woken by the strong smell of smoke.
More than 600 firefighters and soldiers were brought in to battle the wildfire.
Multiple roads were closed and train operators cancelled services in the areas close to the fire.
Raimund Engel, who is in charge of forests in Brandenburg, said 400 wildfires have already been reported this year as a result of a long hot summer with minimal rain.
“I hope the weather will play along and the winds won’t increase again,” he said. “We are yearning for rain.”
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