Contractors renovating a Washington State home stumbled upon a case of live, military-style hand grenades packed with TNT — triggering a bomb squad response and the shutdown of a nearby road, authorities said Monday.
The explosive discovery was made on the property of a home in Ollala, a rural community in Kitsap County, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said.
Workers immediately called the homeowners, who were not living at the home during renovations, according to the sheriff’s office. The homeowners then called 911.
Deputies responded and inspected the case before alerting state bomb technicians. The road near the home was also temporarily closed for public safety.
Inside the case were 10 grenades, which bomb technicians determined were packed with TNT. The technicians also found blasting caps and other explosive devices.
An explosive ordnance team from Naval Submarine Base Bangor also responded to the property and seized the grenades, which authorities believe were military issue.
The state bomb squad secured and seized the remaining explosives.
The homeowners told authorities they had recently purchased the property and had no knowledge of the case or explosives before the contractors made the discovery.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is investigating how the devices ended up on the property.