Wildfire in France Uncovers 400 WWII Shells, Firefighting Efforts Continue

Mon Sep 07 2026 01:12:53 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A blaze in Le Porge exposed a cache of 400 World War II shells, prompting demining and revealing the scale of the destruction.

The deadly wildfire that swept through Le Porge in southern France triggered the unexpected discovery of an enormous cache of 400 World War II munitions, many of which exploded as the fire raged. Reports indicate more than 100 explosions on the second night, causing the mayor to compare the sound to that of war. Demining crews have allowed many residents to return, though several areas—including the coast, a campsite, and La Jenny village—remain off limits. The incident underscores the risk of hidden wartime ammunition areas in fire-prone regions and highlights the resilience of local firefighting teams in France’s broader wildfire crisis.

Wildfire in France Uncovers 400 WWII Shells, Firefighting Efforts Continue

The southern French village of Le Porge has been rocked by a blaze that has revealed a startling cache of 400 World War II shells and munitions buried beneath the cobblestones, according to local authorities.

A woman and a toddler stand by charred ground and burned plants. — A mother and son inspect the remains of their home after the wildfire destroyed the village.

The fire’s first night blew up several unexploded German shell cases, allegedly originally misidentified as the cracking of gas cylinders. Firefighters said the heat sparked detonations of the buried ammunition, contributing to the alarmingly loud explosions reported by residents.

Mayor Martial Zaninetti described the second night’s more than 100 explosions as “the sound of war”. He also warned that wind and rain had hidden the shells for decades, and that demining crews were still clearing hazardous sites.

More than 180 homes were in total destroyed by the blaze, but demining operations have now allowed many residents to return to their houses, although the mayor has maintained that the coastal access, a campsite and the village of La Jenny remain off limits.

A drone view of buildings destroyed by a wildfire in Le Porge — Drone footage shows the scale of damage caused by the wildfire in Le Porge.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu took to Instagram to thank firefighters, noting the country “has stood firm in the face of an unprecedented crisis”. He said that residents are now gradually returning to their homes as the fight moves into a new phase.

The wildfire adds to fire activity across Europe, which over the past two weeks has left more than 330,000 people evacuated, primarily from France and Spain. The south‑west region of Gironde, where Le Porge lies, has seen about 42,000 hectares burned in the largest recorded forest fires since World War II.