BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit was the hero of his apartment building on New Year’s Eve when he warned neighbours the roof was on fire -- and consoled them with champagne in a local restaurant.
Wowereit was celebrating with his partner Joern Kubicki in their flat when Kubicki spotted smoke on the roof and called the fire brigade, while the mayor ran from door to door warning his neighbours, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
"We were sitting there eating our chocolate fondue when he rang the bell and shouted ’The building is on fire!’" neighbour Gerd Luetjen told Bild newspaper. "I tried to warn other neighbours but Wowereit had already been everywhere."
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which damaged a 20 square metre area at the top of the five-storey building, and said it was probably caused by one of the thousands of firecrackers Berliners set off on New Year’s Eve.
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The residents were at first upset that their celebrations had been cut short, but took refuge in a local Greek restaurant where Wowereit bought champagne for them. They were able to return home at about 3 a.m.
"Fortunately no one was injured and his flat did not suffer any damage," said Wowereit’s spokesman Michael Donnermeyer.
