Suspected Far‑Left Arson Knocks Out Power Across Southwest Berlin

Early on Jan. 4, a blaze that investigators say was set deliberately burned through several high‑voltage cables on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal near the Lichterfelde power plant in the Steglitz‑Zehlendorf district of southwest Berlin. The fire was extinguished quickly, but the damage to the cables forced Stromnetz Berlin and police to treat the incident as an act of sabotage with political motives.

Grid operator Stromnetz Berlin initially warned that the suspected arson could leave as many as 45,000 households without power and that full restoration might take until Thursday, Jan. 8. In the hours after the attack different tallies emerged: some outlets put the initial total at about 45,500 households and roughly 2,200 businesses affected. By the next day the operator said restoration efforts were progressing and that about 35,000 households and roughly 1,900 commercial entities remained without electricity, with timelines varying by neighborhood as teams assessed and replaced damaged high‑voltage infrastructure.

The outage cut heating and internet access for many residents during near‑freezing weather and affected hospitals, schools and other services. Authorities warned of risks to patients and announced that some schools were likely to be closed at the start of the week. Images from the scene showed members of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief setting up lighting with generators as repair work continued through the night.

Local media published a letter purportedly from a far‑left group calling itself the Vulkangruppe, which said the operation targeted the fossil‑fuel energy industry rather than civilians. Police described the online statement as plausible and confirmed that investigators and prosecutors were treating the episode as likely the work of left‑wing extremists. The Vulkangruppe previously claimed responsibility for sabotage that interrupted power to a Tesla factory in 2024, and investigators are examining links between that prior claim and the current attack. As of Jan. 5 no arrests or formal charges had been reported.

The immediate economic impact is concentrated in commerce and services that rely on continuous electricity. Thousands of small retailers, hospitality outlets and light manufacturers reported interruptions to operations during a critical winter shopping period. For grid operators, replacing damaged high‑voltage lines is labor and material intensive, requiring specialized crews and equipment and raising near‑term repair costs and operational strain.

The incident also rekindles debate over energy‑infrastructure resilience and security in urban settings. Berlin has endured similar suspected arson incidents in recent years, including a major outage last September linked to a pylon fire. Policymakers now face pressure to accelerate hardening measures, increase surveillance of critical assets and review emergency response protocols for hospitals and other vulnerable services. Prosecutors and police said investigations will continue, with technical forensics and online forensics aiming to corroborate the claim of responsibility and identify perpetrators.