Summer wildfires ignite hidden WWI and WWII bombs across Europe
Heat from this summer's wildfires has set off explosions of century-old bombs and mines in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, creating new hazards for fire crews.
Across several Western European nations, this summer's wildfires have triggered detonations of unexploded WWI and WWII weapons, including bombs and mines discovered in forests near Bordeaux, the High Fens and the Limburg province. Climate scholars say rising temperatures, prolonged drought and strong winds are unearthing and heating the hidden ordnance, turning long-dormant explosives into active hazards for firefighters.
Belgian Governor Hervé Jamar reported sporadic blasts and showed images of a firefighter handling a corroded bomb, while German spokesperson Jonas Tepe warned that heat can easily ignite such devices. Belgium’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Destruction Service handles over 3,000 calls annually, disposing of up to 250 tons of munitions, and local historian Bernard Collard stresses the persistent danger in former battlefields.
Similar risks have emerged as low water levels exposed naval mines in the Danube and the Rhine, prompting police removals in Slovakia, Hungary and Germany. Researchers Sarah Njeri and Christina Greene argue that climate change is reviving the legacy of past conflicts, creating a new public-safety challenge across the continent.
Why it matters
Wildfire heat can detonate buried war explosives, endangering responders and civilians.
In this story
