Wildfire uncovers 400 WWII shells, sparking explosions

A devastating wildfire in southwestern France has uncovered a hidden cache of approximately 400 World War Two-era munitions, triggering a series of explosions that forced a major demining operation near the village of Le Porge. The blaze, which scorched over 40,000 hectares in the Gironde region near Bordeaux over roughly ten days, destroyed more than 180 homes and led to the evacuation of thousands. As the fire raged, residents reported hearing more than 100 explosions, initially believed to be from gas cylinders, but officials later confirmed the intense heat had detonated long-buried historic ordnance.

Local authorities, including Mayor Martial Zaninetti of Le Porge, revealed that unknown ammunition depots were buried within the municipality's land. Zaninetti described the scene to French media, stating the explosions sounded like war and that shells were flying unpredictably, with at least one crashing through a house. Fire Commander Thomas Mimiague confirmed the recovered munitions, consisting of both German and French mortar rounds and high-explosive anti-tank shells, were likely abandoned decades ago. The exact origin and reason for the cache's location remain unclear.