Unknown Ammunition Depot Explodes During Forest Fire in Le Porge

Le Porge – 30 July 2026: In the midst of the major fire in Gironde, a previously unknown depot containing Second World War ammunition exploded in Le Porge. Residents reported violent detonations; according to these reports, fragments pierced a residential building. The municipal administration said it had not been aware of the depot’s existence.

The discovery became public as the consequences of the fire, which has been burning since 22 July in the Saumos and Cap-Ferret area, were documented. According to the French government, the blaze had affected around 42,000 hectares by 27 July. Numerous people had to leave their homes. An initial assessment listed 277 damaged or destroyed buildings.

Le Porge is among the municipalities hit particularly hard. The administration published a list of 152 damaged houses and said the fire continued to be monitored. Media outlets recently reported in some cases higher figures for completely destroyed homes. The discrepancies are likely due to different survey dates and damage categories; a final assessment is not yet available.

The exploding ammunition significantly increased the danger to residents and emergency personnel. Second World War ordnance can remain capable of detonating even after decades, particularly as heat can destabilize explosives and fuses. Suspicious objects must therefore not be touched or moved. In France, the state bomb disposal service is responsible for examining, securing and removing them. Police and gendarmerie can cordon off endangered areas.

It remains unclear how large the depot was, what types of ammunition were stored there and whether all hazardous remnants have been found. There is also no publicly confirmed information about the origin of the stockpile. This creates an additional risk, especially for people returning to damaged residential areas: fire debris, fallen trees and destroyed buildings complicate the search for possible further unexploded ordnance.

Firefighting operations in the Saumos area required exceptionally large resources. According to the government report of 27 July, more than 2,500 firefighters were deployed, including reinforcements from other regions and a team from Switzerland. Operations were coordinated by the Gironde departmental fire and rescue service.

Alongside fire monitoring, municipal authorities continue to record damage to homes and infrastructure. The municipality of Le Porge most recently said that the fire remained under observation and operations were ongoing. Before the depot was discovered, the administration said it had no knowledge whatsoever of the war ammunition stored there.