A discovery that could've come straight out of a history thriller occurred in Weber County this week, but fortunately, thanks to prompt responses from local services, it was defused with no drama. According to the Weber County Sheriff's Office, landscapers stumbled upon a box of old explosives while working in a yard in Washington Terrace on Monday. The items were buried in the dirt at a residence in the area of 4700 S 175 W and discovered around 8:45 AM.
The laborers, suspecting the danger, did not hesitate to swiftly evacuate the homeowners and contact the authorities. "Landscapers working in the area of 4700 S 175 W were digging in a yard and found suspicious looking items in a box buried in the dirt. The landscapers suspected the items were explosives and evacuated the area with the homeowners," the Weber County Sheriff's Office detailed. A collective effort to securely manage the situation saw the Weber County Sheriff’s Office join forces with multiple departments, including South Ogden City Police, Ogden City Police, and the Washington Terrace Fire Department, along with the Davis County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad.
As a safety measure, certain residents were evacuated, and nearby schools, including Bonneville High School and Washington Terrace Elementary School, were put into a secure status. The comprehensive response also included Rocky Mountain Power, which shut off electricity in the vicinity to prevent any accidental detonation of the unearthed explosives. After a tense operation, the bomb techs retrieved and secured the suspicious items, with further analysis confirming them to be explosives. Specifically, four pieces of mining explosives, believed to be several decades old, were extracted from the scene.
