Fire underground: wildfires in Europe expose world war-era munitions

Forest fires and intense heat waves raging across Europe are exposing a deadly threat that had been buried underground for decades.

Bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance from the two world wars are being re-exposed, with the intense heat in fire zones even leading to active explosions of old charges. Reports of such incidents have been recorded in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, and bomb disposal teams have been deployed to fire areas approaching historical battlefields.

In France, a wildfire near Bordeaux exposed an ammunition depot from World War II, and in eastern Belgium, authorities reported localized explosions in the Ardennes forest area, which was a focal point for heavy fighting between Allied forces and the Nazis. Climate and security experts warn that Europe's "climate luck" is running out, and that climate change is now triggering threats that had remained stable and buried for decades.

The danger does not stem from fires alone, but is also exacerbated by drought and falling water levels in the continent's rivers and lakes. In Slovakia, two naval mines were exposed in the Danube following a drop in water levels; in Hungary, a bridge in Budapest was closed after a bomb was discovered at its base; and similar events were recorded on the Rhine River in Germany.

In many European countries, this is a dangerous routine that is becoming increasingly complex. In Belgium alone, the explosive ordnance disposal service handles more than 3,000 calls a year and clears hundreds of tons of abandoned ammunition. Researchers point out that extreme heat is bringing the consequences of historical conflicts from the last century directly into modern reality.