Massive Berlin dumpster fire spreads to building in Hakenfelde district

Flames erupted near a Diakonie facility, leaving charred dumpsters and a gutted awning. Now, investigators are probing whether this was arson—or a tragic accident.

, and Administrator

2026 April 24 . 8:02 PM

1 min read

The image shows a city street filled with lots of buildings, trees, light poles, traffic signals,... — The image shows a city street filled with lots of buildings, trees, light poles, traffic signals, sign boards, tents, and people. In the center of the image is the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, illuminated by a spectacular display of fireworks lighting up the night sky.

Massive Berlin dumpster fire spreads to building in Hakenfelde district

Incident No. 0369

In the early hours of last night, a dumpster fire on the grounds of a Diakonie facility in Berlin's Hakenfelde district damaged a nearby building. Alert residents noticed several burning trash containers near a waste collection site on Schönwalder Allee at around 2:15 a.m. By the time firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze, five dumpsters had been completely destroyed and another severely damaged. The fire also spread to an adjacent building, where the awning burned away entirely. Berlin's State Criminal Police Office (Landeskriminalamt) has assigned its arson investigation unit to take over the ongoing probe into the incident.