Forest Fire in Müritz National Park: 200 Hectares Affected, Evacuation in Granzin

A large section of forest has been burning since Monday in the Müritz National Park in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The most recent fire was reported on Monday. The operation has been underway since then. The forest fire expanded significantly further on Wednesday, according to the district. A fire on munitions-contaminated terrain is keeping emergency personnel busy.

Munitions Make the Operation Dangerous

According to the district, the firefighting operations are particularly dangerous because the area is a former military training ground, making firefighting operations hazardous. In the past, items such as high-explosive tank shells have been found on the former training ground. Because a former military training ground heavily contaminated with munitions is affected, the fire department cannot approach the fire directly. Munitions keep exploding.

In the fire zone, old munitions that remain there continue to explode. A spokesperson for the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district described the situation to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur: „Es explodiert relativ viel Munition. Das hören die Kameraden tatsächlich, wenn sie gerade nicht irgendwie neben einer Pumpe stehen.“ That is clearly audible, said a spokesperson for the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Due to the explosions, the firefighting crews can only approach the fire from the outside.

330 Emergency Personnel and Specialized Equipment Deployed

Given these conditions, emergency personnel are trying to contain the fire. About 330 emergency personnel are attempting to contain the fire. 330 emergency personnel are on site, including fire department units from other parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Equipment that was also brought in from other federal states was added.

To support the emergency personnel, the district resorted to unusual measures. In the morning, the district announced that a request for additional circular sprinklers had been made nationwide. This type of water sprayer is used for irrigation in order to contain the fire. A total of 150 circular sprinklers were to be brought in from all over Germany to stop the fire with irrigation strips.

In addition, the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district asked farmers to help relieve the burden on emergency personnel. They were to have, for example, harrows and water tanks ready during harvesting in order to be able to quickly and independently combat fires that arise. „Das nimmt weiteren Druck von den Einsatzkräften im Landkreis“, it said from the Landratsamt (district administration office).

Granzin Remains Evacuated

The people in the nearby town of Granzin were directly affected. After the fire broke out on Monday, the district had initially evacuated Granzin but later temporarily lifted the evacuation order. On Tuesday, Granzin was evacuated again, as the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district announced.

The evacuation of the town of Granzin ordered on Tuesday remains in effect, the authorities stated on Wednesday. The town, with just under 400 inhabitants, remained cleared out while firefighting operations focused on the former military site. The residents must continue to be housed elsewhere.

Despite all efforts, the district estimates the duration of the operation to be lengthy. As the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district announced, the operation is expected to last several more days. Specialists in defusing old munitions were also dispatched to the area.

Previous Exercise and Political Reaction

That such a fire could break out in this region did not come entirely as a surprise to those responsible. As a spokesperson for the district explained, there had been no comparably large fire in the recent past, but the danger had been known. In October 2024, a corresponding exercise had already taken place in the affected area.

In the meantime, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's State Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) wants to travel to the affected region on Thursday. He wants to get an on-site picture of the situation and hold discussions with the operation's command structures, his ministry announced. This means the operation is also receiving political attention at the state level.

Economic Consequences for the Region

Economic consequences are already visible as well. The ongoing firefighting operations in the national park are forcing a canoe rental company into an „austerity program," as reported from the region. Water sports and tourism around the Müritz National Park are being painfully affected by the closures and the smoke development.

In recent days, fires have repeatedly broken out in fields in the north. The ongoing drought across large parts of northern Germany increases the risk of forest fires, according to experts' assessment. The current developments in the Müritz National Park illustrate how vulnerable such munitions-contaminated areas are in dry summers.

The Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district continued to call on the population to be cautious. People in the region should avoid open fires outdoors and heed the authorities' instructions, it said. Until the major fire is fully under control, the situation remains tense.

This news was broadcast on 15.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The broadcaster reported several times throughout the day on the fire, the deployment of emergency services, and the ongoing danger from munitions on the former military training ground.