Emergency services deployed in Berlin aim to move closer to a police explosives disposal site in the Grunewald forest, after several blasts there triggered a large-scale forest fire.
The plan is to bring the emergency forces closer to the blasting site and to continue to be active in the forest, where many small fires are still burning, fire brigade spokesperson Mario Witt said on Sunday.
According to estimates, the operation will go on for days.
On Thursday, a fire erupted in the forest following several blasts at the 80,000-square metres disposal site, where some 30 tons of military equipment and munitions had been stored, according to police information.
Currently, firefighters have cordoned off a safety zone of 500 metres around the blasting site, where the flames have been extinguished for now. An overall safety zone of 1,000 metres is also in place.
On Sunday, a demolition expert inspected the site in an armoured vehicle and was able to recover important technical material.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade continues to fight smaller blazes in the security zone. "There are places we cannot get to," Witt said, explaining fire fighters cannot take action yet "because only armoured vehicles have access so far."
The situation at the blasting site remains volatile, the spokesperson said. "If special forces now enter the site directly, that doesn't mean that there is no danger there," Witt explained, adding that the work at the blasting site is life-threatening.
Meanwhile, regional and long-distance rail traffic in the region is running normally again after a three-day closure of nearby tracks, a spokesperson for German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Sunday.
The 115 motorway, however, remains closed and is not expected to be reopened until Monday morning at the earliest.
