Fire in central Berlin and cut fence at substation: German police investigate further attacks in series

German police are investigating an overnight fire at an electrical substation in central Berlin and have discovered a cut fence at a substation in western Germany. Tabloid newspaper Bild reported this today, citing its sources. Germany saw several attacks on electricity substations last week, which authorities are investigating as sabotage. In connection with the incidents, they are so far unsuccessfully searching for a 48-year-old man who claimed responsibility in letters.

A fire broke out overnight at a construction site in central Berlin, near Potsdamer Platz. It spread to a substation. The cause of the fire is not yet clear, but according to a spokesperson for grid operator 50Hertz, initial findings indicate that it may have been caused by a technical fault. The DPA news agency reported that 90 traffic lights in the vicinity of the substation stopped working in connection with the fire. Some have already been restored.

Police had already discovered a cut security fence at a substation in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the city of Wesel, on Sunday evening. Media have speculated about a link between the cases and several acts of sabotage at electrical substations last week.

On Tuesday, a substation near the Jänschwalde power plant in Brandenburg was targeted in an act of sabotage, followed by attacks on electrical substations in Bergheim and Dormagen in western Germany. Investigators also found a total of 21 homemade explosive devices, which police said were intended to cause short circuits, at two locations in eastern Saxony. Authorities initially reported finding 12 devices. Today, they said police had found another nine.

In connection with the incidents, police are searching for 48-year-old Daniel V. from Gevelsberg in western Germany, whom Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described as a climate activist. He described the attacks on electricity substations as an expression of “climate extremism”. On Sunday, police carried out a major raid near Cologne but found no one.