Wildfires sweeping across Europe this summer have exposed a dangerous threat beneath the scorched ground: rusty bombs and mines left behind from World War I and World War II.
Some of the old weapons have exploded because of the intense heat. Explosions have been reported in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, where bomb-disposal experts were sent to inspect a forest threatened by fires near a site of fierce fighting in Limburg province during 1944.
Experts say climate change is increasing the danger. Rising temperatures, drought, low humidity and strong winds have created conditions that are making wildfires more frequent and intense.
Sarah Njeri, a peace and conflict scholar at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, said Europe’s previous stable climate had helped keep many buried weapons dormant.
“Climate change is now doing the work of unburying and reactivating what was previously stable,” she said.
Wildfires can ignite old ammunition, while the flames also destroy vegetation and brush that had previously concealed unexploded weapons.
This year’s wildfire season was intensified by heavy rains in January, which encouraged vegetation growth. The vegetation later became fuel when extreme summer heat arrived.
In France, a major wildfire near Bordeaux uncovered a large cache of ammunition believed to date from World War II.
The discoveries highlight a dangerous legacy of Europe’s past wars, with unexploded bombs and mines still buried in areas that are increasingly being affected by extreme weather and wildfires.
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