One arrested after fire at Hitler's Eagle Nest mountain retreat

Authorities were alerted to a fire at the Nazi leader's mountain residence on the peak of Obersalzberg at approximately 9:15 p.m. local time on Friday. The building, also known as Kehlsteinhaus, was "completely engulfed in flames" when firefighters arrived, but no one was found inside and there were no injuries reported.

Investigation underway

Fire trucks had some difficulty accessing the site "due to the local conditions," authorities added. "Shortly after the fire broke out, a suspect came into the focus of investigators," the statement said.

Historic site damaged

At an elevation of 6,017 feet, Hitler's Eagle Nest was completed in 1938 and occasionally used by the Nazi leader as a temporary seat of government. The site was spared from Allied bombing during World War II, largely preserving its original state.

Since then, it has become a popular tourist attraction, which also operates as a restaurant and beer garden. According to its website, the Eagle's Nest is one of the few undamaged monuments of the Hitler era and it "stands for the insanity of the regime."