Fire flares up again overnight at Bavaria's Kehlsteinhaus; damage put in millions

The fire at the Kehlsteinhaus on the Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden in Bavaria flared up again overnight into Sunday, burning "room-high" once more, a police officer said. Firefighters extinguished the flames. Police said it is not unusual for a blaze to reignite from smoldering embers.

The main fire broke out on Friday evening, with the first emergency crews arriving at 9:52 p.m. Webcam images showed the building completely gutted. Bartl Wimmer, chairman of the Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden association, said the damage "will certainly run into the millions." No one was injured, and no one is believed to have been inside.

A 33-year-old suspect has been detained. Prosecutors in Traunstein said a psychiatric assessment found him mentally ill and that at least diminished criminal responsibility must be assumed; they are seeking his placement in a forensic psychiatric facility. A possible political motive is being examined. Built by the Nazis in the 1930s, the house is owned by the state of Bavaria and has operated as a mountain restaurant since 1952.