Infernal Forest Fire Blazes Near Berlin (PHOTO, VIDEO)

The fire started on Thursday afternoon now covers 400 hectares of forest in the Brandenburg region, just 63 kilometers south-west of the German capital, the newspaper Bild reports. Only on Friday night did firefighters manage to stop the blaze from spreading, yet a spokesman for the interior ministry of Brandenburg told the DPA news agency that “the situation has not yet calmed down.”

Large parts of the forest are still considered too dangerous to access on foot, as a joint force of firefighters, army and police officers are trying to extinguish the firestorm by using helicopters and water cannons.

The situation became more complicated after the fire reached unexploded hand grenades and shells, some of which were set off by the fire, blanketing the area with heavy smoke. Even Berlin residents were told to shut their doors and windows and turn off air conditioning units in order not to be affected by the fumes.

More than 500 local residents were evacuated from three villages to temporary shelters. Most of them were given only half an hour's notcie to pack their essentials for the night. The majority of the evacuated have already expressed their gratitude to the firefighters. Michael Knape, the Mayor of the evacuated town of Treuenbrietzen told Der Tagesspiegel that the rapid work by locals and firefighters showed that “there is still solidarity in Germany.”