Wildfire uncovers, detonates WWII munitions in southwest France
by Danielle Haynes · UPIAug. 4 (UPI) -- Destructive wildfires in southern France have uncovered a cache of more than 400 shells and munitions from World War II, local officials said.
The munitions caused more than 100 explosions to ring out in the village of Le Porge on the second night of the fire, Mayor Martial Zaninetti told France Info, as cited by the BBC. He compared it to "the sound of war."
He said the ammunition had been buried underground within the village and residents didn't know about it until they began exploding.
"A bomb disposal operation was carried out today with Civil Protection specialists, recovering more than 400 shells and munitions," local officials said in a statement carried by CNN.
Philippe Delemotte, the head of Bourdeaux's bomb disposal unit, told France Info that the sound of the explosions alerted officials to the locations of the bombs. He said officials "sometimes come across this, but it's rare because here [the munitions are] scattered pretty much everywhere.
The wildfire prompted officials to evacuate most of Le Porge's 3,500 residents in July, though many have returned home. The areas where the ammunition had been found were still off-limits.
Wildfires destroyed more than 180 residences in Le Porge, which is in the Gironde department of southwestern France. France's Bordeaux region and neighboring Spain has been devastated by wildfires in recent weeks, thanks in part to hot and dry weather conditions.
The fires have burned more than 617 square miles in France.
Fires have also spread to Greece and Italy. Temperatures in Eastern and Central Europe were expected to be between 18 and 27 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal in the coming days.
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