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Spain, France Blaze 90,000 Hectares, Find WWII Shells

8/6/2026

Summary

Spain-France Wildfires

Spain and France endured their largest July 2026 wildfires, scorching tens of thousands of hectares.
The fire in Ávila, Spain burned about 50,000 hectares, the biggest ever recorded there.
In Gironde, France the blaze consumed over 42,000 hectares, part of more than 90,000 hectares burned nationwide.
Evacuations reached 224,000 in France and 1,500 in Almería.
The Almería blaze killed 14 people and a pyrocumulonimbus cloud appeared over France on July 25.

Summary

Bomb Squad Recovers

Bomb disposal units recovered over 400 World War II shells and munitions in Le Porge after the July fires.
Commandant Philippe Delemotte said the cache contained French mortar and German 5 cm shells.
The fire’s heat detonated some buried shells, prompting authorities to set up an exclusion zone.
Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas lifted the evacuation on Aug 4 after a safety assessment.

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Spain-France Wildfires

Spain and France endured their largest July 2026 wildfires, scorching tens of thousands of hectares.
The fire in Ávila, Spain burned about 50,000 hectares, the biggest ever recorded there.
In Gironde, France the blaze consumed over 42,000 hectares, part of more than 90,000 hectares burned nationwide.
Evacuations reached 224,000 in France and 1,500 in Almería.
The Almería blaze killed 14 people and a pyrocumulonimbus cloud appeared over France on July 25.

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