WWII Explosives Detonate in France Amid Wildfires, Stirring 'Sound of War'

A massive wildfire raging near Bordeaux in southwestern France has unearthed a dangerous legacy of World War II: unexploded shells. The inferno in the village of Le Porge revealed buried munitions, leading to explosions that residents initially mistook for gas leaks. The blasts have been described as sounding "like the sound of war."

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The blasts were similar to 'the sound of war.'

Demining operations were underway as residents returned to their homes on Monday after being evacuated. Local authorities reported that around 400 shells and pieces of ammunition have been recovered from the area. The fire itself has been devastating, destroying over 180 homes. Fire commander Thomas Mimiague noted that the explosions heard during the blaze may have been these unearthed shells.

Mayor Martial Zaninetti told France Info that ammunition depots, unknown to the municipality, had exploded. "There were ammunition depots buried in land within our municipality, but we didn't know it, and they exploded," he stated. One shell reportedly went through a house. The recovered munitions include both German and French mortar shells and high-explosive anti-tank shells. "We don't really know why they're there; we think they were just abandoned," Mimiague added.

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There were ammunition depots buried in land within our municipality, but we didn't know it, and they exploded.

This incident is not isolated. France has experienced numerous fires this summer, particularly in the Bordeaux region, which has seen its most serious blaze since 1949. The discovery of historical ordnance is a recurring problem in France. Last year, train services were disrupted near Paris due to an unexploded World War II bomb found near railway tracks. In 2012, about 1,000 people were evacuated in Marseille to allow for the removal of a 1-ton German bomb.

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We don't really know why they're there; we think they were just abandoned.