Drying ammunition

[JayB]

I am writing an article about the 1864 explosion and fire at the Washington arsenal. In my research I have read that the superintendent of the arsenal had set out three pans of fireworks to dry in the hot June sun, resulting in the ammunition sparking and exploding. Obviously a foolish mistake, but my question is this: Was drying ammunition once it was assembled a part of the process - if so, why?, or would it be that somehow the ammunition had gotten wet (a spill, perhaps) and needed to dry before packing in ammunition boxes?