WWII munitions exposed by wildfire in Belgium's High Fens

A wildfire in Belgium's High Fens region has uncovered a significant amount of buried World War II ammunition, prompting warnings from explosives disposal experts. Jacques Callebaut, a spokesperson for the DOVO disposal service, urged the public to "stay away from it and notify the police" upon finding any old munitions.

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Stay away from it and notify the police.

Callebaut noted that the exact quantity and type of buried ordnance are unknown, but it is "quite a lot," particularly in the High Fens, an area that saw heavy fighting during both World Wars and the Battle of the Bulge. The recent fires have brought some of this buried ordnance to the surface.

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It is quite a lot.

While old munitions are generally designed to withstand certain temperatures, the intense heat from the fires can expose explosives or detonators. White phosphorus can also spontaneously ignite when exposed to air. Callebaut described the spontaneous explosion of old munitions as "exceptional, but not impossible."

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The ammunition is in fact resistant to certain temperatures and heat. But due to the fire, explosives or detonators can become exposed.

Discoveries of old munitions surfacing due to wildfires are not unique to Belgium. Similar incidents have been reported in France, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to the AP news agency. DOVO already conducts routine clean-up operations in the High Fens and other known hotspots like the Westhoek and the Bastogne region, but a complete sweep is impossible. The service relies on public assistance for locating these dangerous remnants of the past.

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It is very simple: if you find something, just stay away from it and notify the police.