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The fire in a tree house in the Hambacher Forst with an injured climate activist was "apparently" triggered by a stove in the accommodation, according to North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul.

"It looks very much like it," said the CDU politician on Thursday in the interior committee of the NRW state parliament.

"We had warned against something like that."

The stove was installed in the tree house, which was around 15 meters high.

The 32-year-old resident of the tree house was seriously injured in the fire on Monday evening.

The Hambach Forest is a symbol of the conflict between climate protectors and the coal industry.

It was temporarily evacuated in autumn 2018 in one of the largest police operations in recent NRW state history.

The reason given for the controversial action was the lack of fire protection and danger to life and limb of the forest occupiers.

It is now planned that the forest area will be preserved and not cleared for coal mining.

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According to Interior Minister Reul, the man was treated in intensive care.

The 32-year-old suffered burns on the second and third straight, including the back of the head, neck, shoulders and back.

He had to stay in the hospital for a few more days.

"There wasn't much missing and the man could have died," said the Minister.

According to the police, there is an arrest warrant against the 32-year-old for failing to pay a fine.

Reul wants to try to "fill in political rifts"

The rescue work was hindered, among other things, by barricades of the climate activists.

According to the minister, there was a Twitter post from the environment of the "squatters scene", in which it was requested not to attack emergency services with flashing lights because it was an ambulance or the fire department.

“In my opinion, it is time to at least try to fill in political rifts,” said Reul.

He suggested a non-partisan initiative in the state parliament, in which it was considered “how we want to continue together with this piece of land and forest”.

Between 50 and 100 climate protectors have been living in structures in the trees in the area for years, most of whom keep their identities to themselves.

There are always incidents.

The vigil tent at Hambacher Forst was only burned out at the end of December.