Silz (dpa / mv) – Playing children caused a fire in an empty farmhouse in Silz (Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district). The police headquarters in Neubrandenburg said the damage was around 50,000 euros. The five children, aged 11 to 14, switched the electricity on and off in the house on Friday afternoon – this caused a stove that was switched on to heat up and a blanket on it caught fire.

The children tried to put out the fire themselves – but failed. Eventually they called the fire brigade, but the main building was completely engulfed in flames. A total of 65 firefighters were on duty, nobody was injured. The children are now being investigated for negligent arson, it said.