A major wildfire in southern France exposed about 400 World War II shells and other munitions buried underground, local authorities said. Some may have detonated in the heat.
A series of explosions early in the fire was initially thought to have come from gas cylinders. A local fire-service commander later said abandoned World War II munitions were the more likely cause.
Le Porge Mayor Martial Zaninetti told France Info that more than 100 explosions were heard on the second night of the fire. The sounds resembled wartime conditions, he said.
A mine-clearance and safety operation launched after the fire is largely complete, allowing most residents to return home. Some areas remain closed to the public. More than 180 homes were destroyed by the fire.
Zaninetti said munitions dumps had been buried at several locations in the municipality without the local administration’s knowledge. The heat caused them to explode and sent shells in different directions, with one projectile passing through a house, he said.
In an Instagram statement Monday, the mayor said access remained prohibited to the beach, a campsite and the village of La Jenny.
French media reported that the recovered historic weapons included both German and French munitions, including mortar rounds and anti-tank shells.
The major wildfire in the Gironde region was brought under control after burning for about 10 days. People in parts of Le Porge were seen Monday searching the ruins of burned homes for belongings.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu thanked firefighters for their work, saying France had stood firm during an unprecedented crisis. The firefighting operation in Gironde had entered a new phase and evacuees were gradually returning home, he said.
Major wildfires have spread across several European countries over the past two weeks, with France and Spain the hardest hit. More than 3 lakh 30 thousand people were evacuated across the two countries. About 42 thousand hectares of forest burned in southwestern France in what is considered one of the country’s largest wildfires since World War II.
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