Wildfire on munitions-laden former Soviet range near Neustrelitz under control after four days
Firefighters have brought a large wildfire on a former Soviet tank firing range in the Müritz National Park under control, but high soil temperatures and unexploded ordnance keep the area dangerous.
Fire under control
No open flames are visible on the former Soviet tank training ground north of Neustrelitz, the state environment ministry reported on Sunday afternoon. The fire started on Wednesday and burned across roughly 130 to 135 hectares of forest. Despite the visible flames being out, the situation remains tense. Soil temperatures at a depth of 30 centimetres reach up to 180 degrees Celsius, and embers could still reignite.
The ground there is very, very hot, even though we have no flames there.
A reduced crew of about 100 firefighters remained on site Sunday, with plans to bring in additional personnel after smoke was detected in a wooded area. Drones with thermal cameras are being used to locate hotspots.
Munitions block direct attack
Since the area is still heavily contaminated with old ammunition, firefighters could not enter the burning zone. They had to maintain a safety distance of 1,000 metres. Explosions were heard during the blaze, and anti-tank mines prevented the use of firefighting tanks.
We could only watch as the forest burned.
Instead, crews deployed firefighting robots, sprinklers, jet hoses, and water-carrying vehicles from the perimeter. The state forest minister, Till Backhaus, praised the professionalism of the more than 400 responders who worked under extreme heat and constant danger.
Northern spread halted
The fire had been moving north but stopped before reaching a power line and a railway track. Grid operator Edis shut down the power line on Friday as a precaution, without affecting consumers. A defensive ring of sprinklers near the line remains in place but was not active on Sunday.
The fire that was still moving north the day before yesterday, and partly also yesterday, has died out.
Watering near the railway embankment was also suspended. The fire's advance north was halted before it could threaten critical infrastructure.
Aftermath and recovery
Ulf Zimmermann, head of the Müritz National Park, said roughly 135 hectares of valuable natural development area had been lost, but experience shows nature recovers quickly from such disturbances. The land will be closely monitored in the coming days, with a fire watch maintained to catch any flare-ups.
- Fire breaks out on former Soviet tank range; 3-4 hectares burning.
- Power line near fire switched off by Edis as precaution.
- Northward fire movement ceases; sprinkler defence line inactive.
- No open flames visible; fire declared under control. Soil temperature reaches 180 °C at 30 cm depth.
Interior Minister Christian Pegel thanked the emergency services and noted that high temperatures across the state are straining fire brigades with multiple simultaneous fires. The state government pointed to investments made after the devastating Lübtheen fires, including modern equipment, special vehicles, and improved coordination, as key to managing this incident.
