Ljubljana: The echoes of the First World War that ended 104 years ago can still be heard in Europe, thanks to wildfires. Kras region in southwest Slovenia is tackling a massive wildfire, that has set off multiple unexploded ordnances (or UXOs) left in the ground from World War I. Around 2o kilometer squares of area has been burned in the fire. At least three villages near the Italian-Slovenian border have been forced to evacuate. More than 1,000 firefighters and elements of the Slovenian military have been fighting the blaze.
Not only the fires present risks to firefighters, but also the risk of sudden, unexpected explosions add another level of danger. Local media reported that one explosion sent shrapnel right by a group of firefighters, but no one was injured in the blast. Slovenia has sent in bomb disposal teams to help clear the space for containing and battling the fires. Slovakia, Austria and Croatia have also dispatched helicopter crews to assist in the efforts.
“The problem is that because of the unexploded ordnance firefighting units cannot penetrate into the fire but can only act on its edges,” Slovenian Defense Minister Marjan Šarec told the Slovenian Press Agency.
During World War I, the border fight between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire saw more than 200,000 people die in 12 battles.
The fires burning across Slovenia are part of a wave of fires in Europe right now, exacerbated by a heat wave that prompted massive evacuations in multiple countries. The same high temperatures melted a Royal Air Force runway in the United Kingdom this week. Fires in Spain have killed at least 500 people, according to the Spanish government.
Even though the wars end, the risks from UXOs continues on for decades to come. The former Yugoslav nations still deal with landmines left over from the wars of the 1990s. And Japan is still recovering and disposing of UXOs from World War II. Experts and people working in ordnance disposal believe it will take several more decades to clear the UXOs left over from World War I.
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