A massive wildfire in southwestern France has (literally) unearthed long lost pieces of World War II.

In the village of Le Porge, bomb disposal teams are now working to remove live 1940s-era ammunition exposed by the Gironde wildfire.

The danger was discovered when firefighters reported hearing sudden explosions as the flames swept through the area, prompting officials to take a closer look.

What they found were a host of once-buried French and German mortar rounds, along with armor-piercing shells.

Experts say the scattered pattern suggests they weren't part of a military stockpile but were likely leftover demolition charges from the end of World War II that were never fully destroyed.

And these aren’t harmless relics.

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"These shells are still full of explosives, so they're dangerous," said Commander Philippe, head of the Bordeaux bomb disposal center. 

The operation is being carried out cautiously for another reason: the weather.

Teams won't destroy the explosives unless conditions are safe because the last thing they want is to accidentally spark another wildfire.

For now, crews have established an exclusion zone as they collect the munitions and transport them to a secure location for disposal.

"The aim is to remove everything on the surface that could pose an immediate danger, so we can return the homes to the residents," Commander Philippe said. “At a later stage, there will certainly be a survey or a deeper clean-up.”

As of Aug. 3, some residents had reportedly been allowed back into Le Porge to survey the damage to their properties.