Austrian woman’s wood stove explodes from WWII grenade hidden in firewood

Gmunden, Austria – A loud blast disturbed the small lakeside Austrian town of Gmunden after a WWII grenade erupted inside the wood stove of a 22-year-old unnamed woman. 

According to the investigation made by the likewise puzzled Austrian authorities, the WWII grenade was embedded in the firewood the woman used for her burner.

As what Police spokeswoman Petra Datscher stated, the WWII grenade appeared to have landed on a tree during the Second World War. As years passed, the wood grew around it completely enveloping the explosive to the point of making it invisible to anyone looking. That tree was apparently cut and chopped down to be sold as firewood in the supermarket where the clueless woman bought the bundle for home use.

Once the stove owner placed the firewood inside, the fire had triggered the embedded WWII grenade causing the blast. The explosion caused the glass panel of the stove to shatter. Fortunately, the wrought-iron stove was quite sturdy, thus, it prevented causing injuries on the owner.

Heziel Pitogo

Heziel Pitogo is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE