At Hitler’s former retreat, suspect arrested as fire leaves building completely engulfed; no injuries reported

Fire reported at mountain site

Police said they were alerted to a fire at the residence on Obersalzberg at about 9:15 p.m. local time on Friday. The building is also known as Kehlsteinhaus.

By the time firefighters arrived, flames had engulfed the structure, according to police. No one was found inside, and authorities reported no injuries.

Suspect taken into custody

Investigators focused on a suspect shortly after the fire began, police said. One person was taken into custody. Authorities said the cause of the fire is being investigated as a criminal matter. Fire trucks faced difficulty reaching the site because of local conditions.

Retreat later became attraction

Eagle’s Nest sits 6,017 feet above sea level and was completed in 1938. Hitler occasionally used it as a temporary seat of government. The site escaped Allied bombing during World War II and largely retained its original condition. It later became a popular tourist destination that also operates as a restaurant and beer garden. The Eagle’s Nest website describes it as one of the few undamaged monuments of the Hitler era and says it stands for the regime’s insanity.