‘Sneaky little devils.’ Dangerous military flares wash ashore on NC’s Outer Banks
Inconspicuous canisters that washed ashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina prompted state park officials to post a warning on social media Tuesday: “Stay away.”
The canisters are military flares that can be dangerous if mishandled.
“They look harmless, but they are not (sneaky little devils) as they use phosphorus to make their light,” Cape Lookout National Seashore said in a Facebook post. “Phosphorus burns when exposed to oxygen, but will stop when the flare runs out of fuel or if it ‘crusts over’ cutting off the oxygen.”
That means the flares could reignite “causing severe burns” if the crust were to come off, according to the post. Park officials said a Marine Corps bomb squad from Cherry Point was called to remove them from the beach.
In the meantime, authorities urged people to stay way from mile markers 39 and 40 at Cape Lookout. Officials also asked anyone who spots additional flares to report them to the National Park Service.
The flares aren’t the first alarming objects to wash up on the North Carolina coast, which has a history of scraping the ocean floor for long-lost military equipment — including bombs, missiles and mines.
A live bomb appeared in the surf at Buxton near Cape Hatteras Light Station in October, prompting park officials to shut down the lighthouse until the device could be safely detonated. The bomb sent sand flying 60 feet in the air when it was set off on Oct. 23, McClatchy News reported.
In September, Hurricane Teddy coated beaches with a thick layer of sharp-edged seashells after dumping massive waves along North Carolina’s coastline. Officials called it the perfect combination of storm swells, strong winds and “astronomical high tides.”
Police in Kill Devil Hills also had to reassure residents a suspicious-looking device that washed ashore in March wasn’t the naval mine it appeared to be. The device coated in “sharp-edged sea things” was believed to be some kind of “anti-submarine target” and not dangerous, McClatchy News reported at the time.
“While we appreciate the concern, there’s nothing to worry about with this object,” police said.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:40 PM with the headline "‘Sneaky little devils.’ Dangerous military flares wash ashore on NC’s Outer Banks."
