Police Praise Cleaning Crew for Response to Suspected Ordnance

Essex, Massachusetts Six homes were evacuated after a cleaning crew found ordnance in a recently sold home, according to Essex Police Chief Paul Francis. Police and fire responded to the home where the suspected military ordnance was found.

Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad officials eventually determined that the shell was an inert training round. The munition was seized and was scheduled to be turned to U.S. Navy EOD. No additional items of concern were found.

A police spokesperson said, "The cleaning crew in this instance did everything right, leaving the dangerous item alone and contacting properly trained authorities to render the situation safe."

Munition Find During House Cleanout

Mansfield, Ohio A contractor cleaning out an abandoned home made an alarming discovery that led to a response by the Mansfield police and fire departments as well as the Ashland County Bomb Squad. Chelsea Stuhldreher, of Page Asbestos Services, was cleaning out the home when she found ordnance.

She notified the police who responded with the bomb squad who reportedly x-rayed the ordnance (identified as a 75mm projectile, specific nomenclature not provided) before they deemed that it was not live. Although it was deemed not to be live, the bomb squad took possession of the item for proper disposal.

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Old Dynamite Recovered Near Lake Tahoe Highway

Sacramento, California Deputies with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office were alerted by a citizen about potential explosives discarded alongside the highway 28, between the Thunderbird and Sand Harbor areas, on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

Authorities responded and after searching the area located aged dynamite sticks among pine straw, rocks, and trees about 150 feet from the highway. A multi-agency bomb squad responded to the scene and deployed a robot to retrieve the explosive. During the response, Authorities closed Highway 28 in both directions for about four hours.

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Unexploded Avalanche Control Device Response

Breckenridge, Colorado An unexploded avalanche control device was found near the top of peak 7 at Breckenridge. According to the Summit County Sheriff's Office, the device was safety counter charged. Prior to the controlled demolition event, the sheriff's department warned locals through social media not to be alarmed by the explosion and asked that no one call 911 in relation to the detonation.

This is not the first time unexploded avalanche control devices have been found in Breckenridge. In 2019, authorities were forced to warn hikers of 22 possible undetonated avalanche control devices launched by the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Deputies and EOD Defuse What Could Have Been an Explosive Situation

Eddyville, Kentucky Lyon County Deputies joined forces with Fort Campbell EOD Technicians to dispose of explosives discovered in the personal belongings of a late veteran. According to a social media post from Sheriff Brent White of the Lyon County Sheriff's Office, they found yellow banded TNT, hand grenades, M117 booby trap devices, military grade blasting caps, and other military ordnance on the property.

White took the opportunity to remind anyone who comes across explosive devices to avoid touching or moving them. Instead, citizens should notify a local law enforcement agency so they can properly dispose of them.

The sheriff's office also issued thanks to the 184th Ordnance Battalion, 49th OD CO out of Ft. Campbell for their assistance, and to deputies Joe Witherspoon and Seth Pool who assisted in the safe removal of the items.

Bad 'Bombs' Come in Threes

Calaveras County, California The Calaveras County Sheriff's bomb squad was deployed three times in one week to dispose of explosives discovered in both Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, the according to a news release from the Sherriff's Department. Items recovered included an IED, a rocket-propelled grenade and about 500 old blasting caps.

The IED was found in an abandoned vehicle with expired registration that was scheduled to be towed when a loaded handgun and suspected IED were discovered. The bomb squad moved the device to a safe location and rendered it safe, confirming in the statement that there was "presence of a high explosive."

The next day, the squad was called out again when landfill workers found what they believed to be a live explosive while they were sorting through garbage. According to the press release, "During the investigation, they learned someone had thrown the (ordnance) out with their trash and may have been in there for days."

The munition was identified as a projectile from an RPG launcher. The round was countercharged and disposed of on-site in a remote location.

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Bomb Squad Responds to Grenade Find

Norfolk, Nebraska The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) was called in to examine a different type of firework in over the 4th of July weekend. The NSP Bomb Squad reported that it responded to the scene of a live grenade at a Norfolk residence.

An NSP bomb technician determined the grenade was from at least before 1950 but had no other details. The bomb squad safely removed the device to be disposed of following established disposal procedures. NSP officials issued a reminder that people should always call 911 when coming across any military ordnance.

Turmoil in Cleveland Bomb Squad

Cleveland, Ohio Six members of the Cleveland Bomb squad resigned over alleged safety concerns with their new supervisor. Reportedly, the six officers were especially incensed after a recent training exercise at the Airport was conducted with live explosives vs a simulant potentially putting personnel and the airport at risk.

In their resignation letters the officers said they would return to the unit if the supervisor was removed. According to Cleveland Police Deputy Chief Herold Pretel, there are no immediate plans to remove the supervisor as investigations so far has turned up no wrongdoing. But police officials have added an extra supervisory position to the unit.

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Bomb Disposal Fireworks Call Results In Injuries

Los Angeles, California Police responded to residential property after receiving a tip of a large cache of illegal fireworks. Police removed between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds of fireworks from the house using three box trucks and a 53-foot trailer.

In the cache, officers found 40 items described as 'explosive devices' along with '200 similarly made smaller devices'. The total weight of the explosive devices was reported as 10 pounds. Due to concerns that the explosive devices were unstable, the bomb squad brought in a truck mounted containment vessel designed to sustain a blast from 15 pounds of explosives. However, when the items were detonated in the truck, resulting blast ripped the truck apart and flipped over nearby parked cars.

At least 17 people - 10 law enforcement personnel and seven residents were injured as a result of the blast. LAPD Chief Michel R. Moore told reporters at a news conference - "Now this is a semi-truck, multi-ton, commercial-grade transport that, within it, has an iron chamber that is meant for this, where they house explosive material that can be safely detonated." He added: "This vessel should have been able to safely dispose of that material."

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Bomb Squad Responds To Aging Dynamite

Glendora, California the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department bomb squad responded to a residential property after the great-grandson of a deceased homeowner was cleaning out the basement when he found 22 sticks of very old dynamite in a cardboard box.

Members of the bomb squad, told reporters covering the find that the dynamite had turned grainy and deteriorated to the point that the nitroglycerin had crystallized resembling mold on cheese. Some sticks had bent and others looked as if they were about to break, said Det. Oscar Corcio, also on the bomb squad.

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