Hikers venturing onto Yorkshire moorland have been urged to exercise caution following warnings about Second World War munitions that remain buried beneath the surface.
The North York Moors National Park Authority has issued guidance asking visitors to Langdale Moor to stay alert after wartime explosives detonated during devastating blazes last summer.
Approximately 20 bombs and shells went off as fires swept across the area, hampering efforts by firefighters tackling the inferno.
The blaze erupted close to RAF Fylingdales, a site that served as a training ground for tanks during World War Two, leaving dangerous remnants scattered across the landscape.
The August fires, which raged for more than a month, scorched an area spanning 20 square kilometres, making them the most extensive wildfires ever recorded within the national park's boundaries.
Aerial images captured by the North York Moors Moorland Organisation documented flames racing across the terrain, generating vast plumes of smoke.
The destruction of surface peat and vegetation has revealed additional military remnants from the wartime era.
Fire crews coordinated with the Ministry of Defence to clear munitions from the affected zone.
A view across exoansive North Yorkshire moors near Haworth
|GETTY
RAF Fylingdales, situated on the North Yorkshire coast near Pickering, currently operates as a ballistic missile early warning facility serving both British and American governments.
Walking routes across the moor were reopened to the public last month, though authorities stress that significant dangers persist.
The park authority has cautioned visitors against handling any "suspicious metal objects" they might encounter.
According to official guidance: "The loss of surface peat and vegetation has exposed further historic military debris. While most of these items are harmless, there remains a serious risk that unexploded ordnance [is] present.
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The fire in North Yorkshire raged last year
|NORTH YORKSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
"Disturbing the ground is extremely dangerous – please keep to the path and remain vigilant."
The Ministry of Defence has yet to comment.
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