Fire Nearly Destroys Germany’s Kehlsteinhaus Retreat

A major fire nearly destroyed the Kehlsteinhaus, the Bavarian Alpine retreat known as the Eagle’s Nest, and police detained a person as they investigated its cause. Authorities said no one was found inside and no injuries were reported. The fire alarm sounded on Friday evening, October 23. Police said firefighters saw flames as they approached the building, which was fully ablaze when they arrived. The remote, high-altitude site made access and firefighting difficult, according to police. About 200 firefighters or other emergency personnel took part in the response, police said. The Kehlsteinhaus stands 1,834 meters above sea level near Berchtesgaden. Police said crews needed respiratory protection to access the building and surrounding area. Police said the detained person came to investigators’ attention shortly after the fire began. Authorities have not established whether that person was connected to the blaze, and the cause remains under criminal investigation. Reports identifying the person as a motorcyclist were attributed to a newspaper and were not confirmed by police. By Saturday, police said the building had burned down almost completely. The Berchtesgaden tourism...