More than 200 firefighters have been battling a large fire at a scrap metal yard near Oldenburg in north-western Germany since Friday night, officials said on Saturday.
The fire spread rapidly and was out of control, the fire department said, with officials expecting fire suppression operations to continue into the afternoon.
Residents in the area were urged to keep windows and doors closed to avoid smoke inhalation.
The heat generated among numerous cars and other materials caused additional waste to ignite, complicating firefighting efforts, a fire department spokesman said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
