A woman in Germany picked up what she thought was a chunk of amber. She put it in her pocket, but it caught fire — it was white phosphorous from World War II. Firefighters quickly put out the fire.
AILSA CHANG, HOST: Good morning. I'm Ailsa Chang. A woman in Germany went for a walk on the banks of the Elbe River when she found a beautiful chunk of what she thought was amber. She dropped it in her jacket pocket. But when it dried, it burst into flames. Turns out that beautiful fossil was actually white phosphorus from World War II. But never fear, onlookers helped her out and called the fire department. The woman escaped unscathed, though she might think twice the next time she finds a pretty rock. It's MORNING EDITION.