Forest Fires in France Uncover Hundreds of World War II Ammunitions

The forest fires that occurred in the southwestern French village of Le Porge have uncovered around 400 ammunitions and shells from World War II. The over 100 explosions heard during the fire are believed to have been caused by the high heat triggering the detonation of these ammunitions. Le Porge Mayor Martial Zaninetti stated that over 100 explosions were heard on the second night of the fire, describing it as 'like the sounds of war'. Following the work of mine and ammunition disposal teams, most of the region's residents have returned home, although some areas remain closed due to security concerns. More than 180 homes were left uninhabitable due to the fire, and Zaninetti said, 'We were unaware that there were buried ammunition deposits within our municipal borders. These exploded during the fire.' The mayor also mentioned that some ammunition fragments were thrown into the surroundings, with one piece penetrating a house. According to the French press, the discovered ammunitions include mortar and anti-tank shells from both the German and French armies. As the forest fire in the Gironde region, which lasted for about 10 days, has been brought under control, footage from Le Porge shows families trying to collect their belongings from the rubble of their burned homes.