Wildfires Uncover Buried Munitions Across Europe, Posing Risks to Response Crews

Fort Myers Naples, FL, August 22, 2026 —

Wildfires raging across Europe are unearthing a dangerous legacy of past conflicts: unexploded bombs and mines from World War I and II. As dry conditions, exacerbated by climate change, fuel increasingly fierce blazes, response crews face the added peril of encountering these buried explosives.

Incidents of munitions being uncovered by fires have been reported in several European nations, including France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. These countries have extensive histories as battlegrounds during the World Wars, and fires burning over these old sites are now igniting dormant ordnance and burning away the brush that once concealed it.

In Belgium’s High Fens region, a former World War I battlefield, authorities are actively adapting to the heightened risk of encountering unexploded ordnance (UXO) due to the current fires. The phenomenon highlights a growing concern for emergency services operating in areas with a history of conflict.

The threat is not limited to land. In Slovakia and Hungary, receding river levels caused by severe droughts have also led to the discovery of submerged bombs. These incidents underscore the widespread nature of the problem, with the lingering remnants of wartime munitions surfacing due to environmental changes.

The connection between climate change and the increased risk of wildfires igniting old munitions is a growing area of focus. Prolonged dry spells create ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly, potentially reaching and detonating buried explosives that have lain dormant for decades.

Story summarized from the original created by AP on apnews.com, see more information here.

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