Huge wildfire spreads southwest of Berlin

Three villages southwest of Berlin have been evacuated as a wildfire the size of 400 soccer fields spread.

The Germany news agency dpa reported Friday that about 500 people had to leave their homes because of the fire in Treuenbrietzen, some 50 kilometers outside of Berlin.

The fire started yesterday afternoon. Overnight, winds blew the smoke to Berlin, where people in some neighborhoods were asked to keep their windows closed.

Firefighters were trying to cut trees to make long swaths in the forests to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Germany has seen a long, hot summer with almost no rain and large parts of the country are on high alert regarding possible wildfires.