Home / Disasters and Accidents / WWII Ammo Cache Explodes Amidst Forest Fire
WWII Ammo Cache Explodes Amidst Forest Fire
30 Jul
Summary
- WWII ammunition depot exploded during a large forest fire.
- Mayor reported over a hundred explosions heard, sounding like war.
- Unsuspecting residents discovered grenades on their property.
A significant forest fire on the French Atlantic coast has triggered explosions from a hidden World War II ammunition depot. The village of Le Porge, unaware of the buried munitions on private land, experienced over a hundred blasts. The mayor described the terrifying sound as 'the noise of war,' with grenades exploding and even flying through a house. Fortunately, residents were evacuated before the explosions began, though one homeowner later found a grenade that had penetrated their window shutter. Explosives experts have since inspected the site, which likely contains German ammunition abandoned by retreating Wehrmacht troops in 1944. Finds of such munitions are common in the region due to extensive German military installations built along the coast during the war.
