The man from the Langenhorn district of Winterhude in Hamburg sparked the alert because he suspected that the pink clouds in the sky might have been a huge fire in his neighbourhood, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported.
Staff in the emergency operations centre immediately sent multiple fire engines to the vicinity expecting to find a huge blaze.
However, once at the scene the firefighters were able to determine that there was no fire (not on the ground anyway).
It was, in fact, a fiery-coloured sunset.
A spokesman for the fire brigade told the newspaper it’s ‘better to be safe than sorry’ and it’s ‘no problem’ to call emergency services if residents believe there is danger.
“Of course we respond when a citizen calls for help.
Even if it is – as in this case – a false alarm,” he said.”Better to dial 112 once too much than once too little.”
The spokesman added that people often confuse evening sunsets when they’re particularly strong with a fire and alert the emergency services.
The natural spectacle, however, was nothing unusual, a meteorologist with the German Weather Service said.
Since the sun’s rays have to cover a particularly long distance in the evening, the light is redder compared to the day, the forecaster told DPA.
In combination with the low clouds, this results in particularly strong colours.
The sunny but cold weather in recent days has seen Germany experience some stunning sunsets.
Technically, the concerned resident did spot a ‘fire’ it just happened to be one that no firefighter would ever be able to put out, regardless of how long his (or her) hose is..
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