Overview
- Local officials said bomb disposal teams recovered more than 400 World War II shells and munitions in Le Porge, a figure confirmed by regional authorities on Monday.
- The buried explosives detonated during the July blazes, producing dozens of loud blasts that residents and the mayor likened to the sound of war and which alerted crews to the cache.
- Deminers report the haul includes a mix of German and French-era ordnance, mainly mortar rounds and some anti-tank or tank projectiles that had been buried and not part of any known official storage.
- Large areas of the village, including coastal and campsite zones, remain sealed while specialists clear remaining munitions and arrange controlled destruction at a military site.
- Officials say the discovery complicates recovery after fires that burned tens of thousands of hectares and destroyed more than 180 homes, and it highlights how extreme heat and drought can expose wartime hazards long buried in Europe.