Bomb dump, is a military storage facility for live ammunition
and explosives. The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently
hazardous. There is the potential for accidents in unloading, packing and
transfer; the threat of theft, misuse or sabotage; and, if neglected, the
near-certainty that poorly stored explosives will catch fire and/or degrade and
become shock-sensitive over time.
Despite intensive preventive measures, ammunition depots
around the world suffer from non-combat fires and explosions - rarely, but
mostly with devastating consequences. Usually, an ammunition depot experiencing
even minor explosions in one of its sites/buildings, is immediately evacuated
together with surrounding civilian areas. Thus, all of the stored ammunition is
left to detonate itself completely for days or weeks, with very limited
attempts at firefighting from a safe distance. If the ammunition's are artillery
shells and other heavy types, the whole depot site affected is typically leveled.
