At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, the U.S. Army’s Explosive Ordnance Division will be disposing of six phosphorous flares that have washed up on area beaches, including the Dungeness Spit, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW).

The flares will be neutralized the flares using a small amount of explosives at a safe and secure location northwest of Sequim, they said.

“The process is expected to produce one to three small explosions, which may be heard by residents in the immediate area,” USFW officials noted in a press release.

The phosphorous flares are used at sea during military exercises and are not explosives but rather produce colored smoke as the phosphorous burns.

“It is believed that they are all expended, however, when they are dropped by the military into the cold ocean the tips can crust over before all the phosphorous is expelled,” USFW officials said.

The U.S. Army’s Explosive Ordnance Division will be disposing of six phosphorous flares, similar to the one pictured here, on Wednesday, March 9. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife

“As such, there is a emote possibility they still contain phosphorous, which can reignite posing a safety hazard to unsuspecting beach visitors.”

People who encounter these devices should not handle them as they pose a significant burn hazard. Instead, they should contact the police or military for safe and proper disposal.

The containers are typically aluminum cylinders measuring 19 inches long by 3 inches wide with a cone-shaped nozzle at one end.

They are labeled “WARNING, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, CONTACT POLICE OR MILITARY,” though ocean conditions may obscure the labels, USFW officials note.

Attached are photos and a data sheet for C2A2 (MK25) Marine Location Markers.