German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic "Eagle's Nest" mountain retreat in Bavaria, a site formerly used by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and high-ranking officials.
Emergency dispatchers in Traunstein received a fire alarm from the building officially known as the Kehlsteinhaus at around 9:15 PM on Friday. Responding firefighters found the historic structure engulfed in flames. Around 200 emergency personnel were deployed to the site near Berchtesgaden where difficult Alpine terrain hampered firefighting efforts into Saturday morning. No injuries have been reported.
Police confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway to determine whether the detained suspect was apprehended near the scene is connected to the blaze. Authorities have not yet disclosed a potential motive.
Completed in 1938 the Eagle's Nest sits high above Berchtesgaden and served as a guest house and part-time seat of government during the Nazi regime. It escaped destruction after World War II and is currently owned by the state of Bavaria.
The site functions as a popular tourist destination and mountain inn as well as a historical monument serving as a reminder of the atrocities committed under the Nazi dictatorship.
