Le Porge village in France uncovers 400 WWII shells after massive wildfire

A wildfire that swept the Gironde region in July burned about 42,000 hectares, destroyed more than 180 homes and forced the evacuation of the coastal village of Le Porge. After residents were allowed to return, demining crews discovered nearly 400 World War II shells and mortar ammunition, including French and German pieces, some still visible on the surface. Explosions were heard during the fire, which the mayor Martial Zaninetti described as sounding “like the sound of war.”

The French civil‑protection bomb‑disposal unit, led by commandant Philippe Delemotte, began a clearance operation, removing the shells and transporting them to a military facility for safe destruction. Access to several neighbourhoods remains restricted while searches continue. President Emmanuel Macron called the situation “the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War.”