German police said Saturday they had detained a suspect following a fire at Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat, known as the Eagle’s Nest, in the state of Bavaria.
Around 200 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze at the Nazi dictator’s remote Kehlsteinhaus residence, on the peak of Obersalzberg in southern Germany.
Firefighters saw flames rising high into the air as they approached the scene, only to find the building “completely ablaze”, police said.
“A suspicious person was taken into temporary custody,” they said in a later statement, adding that nobody was injured in the blaze.
Police spokeswoman Lisa Maier said firefighters struggled to tackle the blaze due to its location at an altitude of 1,834 metres.
The building was only accessible with “heavy breathing apparatus”, she said.
Authorities were alerted to the fire on Friday evening, when a smoke detector triggered a fire alarm at around 9:50pm (1950 GMT), police said.
“The criminal police investigation is ongoing,” Maier added.
German tabloid Bild reported that the authorities arrested a motorcyclist they came across on their way to the scene and that they suspected the fire was the result of arson.
Built in the 1930s, the Eagle’s Nest forms part of the toxic legacy of Germany’s bitter 20th-century history.