According to the newspaper, there was a big fire last night.
I’m trying to wrap my head around “gab es heute Nacht”:
gab es = there was (clearly past tense)
heute Nacht = tonight
How can “es gab ein Feuer heute Nacht” translate to “there was a fire last night”??
It is surely confusing.
“Heute Nacht” in German can mean “last night” and “tonight”.
You have to rely on context and grammar.
“Heute Nacht hatte ich einen Albtraum” = “Last night I had a nightmare”
You are more likely to say that in the morning.
“Heute Nacht ist Vollmond” = “Tonight is/will be a full moon”
You are more likely to say that in the afternoon or evening.
There are variants:
“Letzte Nacht hatte ich einen Albtraum” = Last night … (that’s unequivocally)
“Diese Nacht hatte ich einen Albtraum”
“Diese Nacht ist Vollmond”