Wildfires ignite WWII shell cache in French village

Sun Sep 06 2026 16:36:47 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Wildfires in southern France uncover 400 WWII‑era shells, sparking demining and safety probe after 180 homes destroyed.

A blaze in Le Porge, south‑west France, revealed around 400 unexploded World War Two shells buried beneath the village land, with explosions heard during the fire. Local authorities say heat likely detonated the ammunition while 180 houses were lost. Demining crews have cleared most streets, but several areas remain off‑limits. Prime Minister Lecornu praised firefighters and noted that residents are slowly returning home as the fire crisis transitions to a new phase.

The roaring blaze that tore through Gironde’s south‑west countryside this week did more than scorch trees and homes. In the village of Le Porge firefighters discovered a hidden cache of roughly 400 World War Two munitions left under the soil, a find that has made the fire even more dangerous.

The mayor, Martial Zaninetti, said explosions heard over the weekend were likely caused by the heat igniting these dormant shells. He compared the crackling sounds to “the sound of war” and warned that not all areas were safe yet.

More than 180 houses were consumed by the fire, and the village’s emergency team has been busy de‑mining the site. Residents are gradually being allowed back into their homes, but access to the ocean, a nearby campsite and wharves has stayed restricted.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu praised the firefighters’ work, telling the nation that France has stood firm “in the face of an unprecedented crisis.” He highlighted that the battle against the fires has moved into a new phase and that evacuees are slowly returning.

This incident follows a string of blazes across Europe that spanned two weeks, leaving over 330,000 people displaced in France and Spain alone. With 42,000 hectares burned, the Gironde region remains one of the largest forest‑fire events since the end of World War Two.