France Recovers 400 WWII Shells After Record Wildfires

French authorities recovered more than 400 World War II shells and munitions in the village of Le Porge following devastating wildfires in the Gironde region. The munitions, which included French and German mortar and anti-tank shells, were unearthed or detonated by extreme heat. Residents initially mistook the resulting explosions for bursting gas cylinders.

Emmanuel Macron characterized the wildfire crisis as the most severe the country has ever recorded. The blazes destroyed over 180 homes and burned between 42,000 hectares in the southwest and over 160,000 hectares nationally. This discovery aligns with a broader European trend where drought and extreme heat reveal historic unexploded ordnance.

Following bomb disposal operations and a safety assessment, Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas authorized residents to return to their neighborhoods on August 4, 2026, though some areas remain restricted. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu noted the return of evacuated individuals and credited the efforts of firefighters in managing the crisis.