Forest fire near Neustrelitz out of control on munitions-contaminated military training ground

Why the fire brigade cannot intervene

Jörg Westphal of the Neustrelitz fire brigade said that he and his colleagues could only watch as the forest burned and the situation was monitored. "Deswegen könne die Feuerwehr es nicht betreten", he explained. In order not to endanger the emergency services, they remain outside the contaminated area and limit themselves to observation.

Backhaus reported that there had already been individual detonations in the fire area. "Es soll auch schon erste einzelne Detonationen gegeben haben." The explosions are attributable to the munitions in the ground, which are triggered by the heat of the fire.

Measures to contain the fire

To contain the fire, a firebreak is currently being constructed, according to the Environment Minister. The marginal areas of the former military training ground are being wetted with water to prevent the fire from spreading. In addition to fire brigade units, robots are also being deployed. Furthermore, circular sprinklers are to be installed.

On site, according to authorities, are the district's munitions clearance service, a special vehicle for forest firefighting, and the civil protection agency. Backhaus said he is in direct contact with the district administrator and the National Park Office.

Impact on residents and traffic

The affected forest area is located in the Müritz National Park along the federal highway B193 in the direction of Penzlin. The B193 is currently closed just before Neustrelitz. The section of forest is located on a former military training ground.

Residents are advised to keep windows and doors closed due to the ongoing smoke development. Employees of a nearby workshop for people with disabilities were also moved out of the area for safety reasons.

Weather situation and further developments

Backhaus warned of a further aggravation of the situation: "Durch den Temperaturanstieg in den nächsten Tagen sei weiter mit einer erhöhten Waldbrandgefahr zu rechnen." Rising temperatures could further worsen an already tense situation.

The news about the forest fire was broadcast on 25.06.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The emergency services are working under high pressure to prevent the fire from spreading further, even though direct firefighting in the contaminated terrain is not possible.