Climate Changed
German Wildfires Cause Old War Munitions to Explode at Abandoned Firing Range
- Four villages evacuated near wildfires in eastern Germany
- Fires follow Europe’s record-breaking Saharan heatwave
Firefighters hose water on trees in a forest near the evacuated locality of Alt Jabel on July 1.
Photographer: Jens Buttner/DPA via Getty Images
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Sweeping wildfires forced the evacuation of four villages in eastern Germany, the latest fallout from a Europe-wide heatwave that has raised concerns about climate change.
Discarded bullets and other munitions exploded at an abandoned military firing range as fires covering 600 hectares (1,500 acres) neared the villages of Trebs, Alt Jabel, Volzrade and Jessenitz-Werk about 55 miles southeast of Hamburg. Four military helicopters scooped water out of the nearby Elbe River to douse the flames, a spokeswoman said.