Heat exposes wartime dangers as Austrian bomb unit handles 624 callouts

Austria’s army bomb disposal service has recovered and destroyed 12,803 kilograms of wartime material this year, as heat exposed dangerous remnants from the world wars in rivers and lakes, ORF reported.

The service has carried out 624 operations across Austria so far in 2026. A large forest fire in Föhrenwald near Sankt Egyden am Steinfeld in Lower Austria, caused by heat and old ammunition parts, highlighted the continuing danger posed by wartime munitions.

In Burgenland, bomb disposal experts responded 34 times. The easternmost Austrian province ranked in the lower middle of the nationwide comparison. Lower Austria recorded the most operations, followed by Upper Austria and Styria.

The Defence Ministry advised people who find potentially dangerous objects to secure the location, keep their distance and call the police emergency number. The army’s bomb disposal service will then be notified to safely recover and dispose of the material.