A residential fire near N. Lincoln Avenue and E. 8th Street in Loveland took an unexpected turn Saturday when crews clearing the burned structure discovered suspected ordnance inside, prompting police to order nearby residents to shelter in place. Authorities removed the item and lifted the order by 3 p.m.
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority responded to the blaze near N. Lincoln and E. 8th, according to CBS Colorado. While crews worked through the home afterward, they found what the Loveland Police Department described as suspected ordnance inside, the station reported. That discovery immediately shifted the response from firefighting to public safety containment, with authorities asking some residents near the fire to shelter in place while the item needed removal.
Shelter Zone Stretches Several Blocks
The shelter-in-place area was bounded by 10th Street to the north, Jefferson Street to the east, 8th Street to the south and Cleveland Street to the west, per the same report. Police also closed N. Lincoln Avenue outright, asked drivers to avoid the area entirely and warned that travelers passing nearby should expect significant delays while the scene remained active.
Crews worked to determine whether the suspected ordnance contained live explosive material, the station noted. The Loveland Police Department said it had no indication the item posed a threat, even as it requested additional assistance to handle the object. Authorities removed the item and lifted the shelter order by 3 p.m.
Specialized Units Built for This Exact Scenario
Handling suspected explosives in Larimer County typically falls to a dedicated unit built for this kind of call. The Larimer County Bomb Squad provides for the safe transportation and disposal of explosives, fireworks and ammunition, and also supports area HazMat and SWAT teams, according to information from Larimer County. The squad can be reached through dispatch centers run by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Fort Collins Police Services and the Loveland Police Department.
Scenes like this one aren't unique to Loveland. In April, authorities in unincorporated Boulder County found five suspected improvised explosive devices inside a metal case near Ponderosa Way, according to CPR News. That incident triggered a shelter-in-place order that stayed in effect from noon until roughly 7 p.m. while bomb technicians secured the scene, and the suspected devices were eventually transferred to a containment trailer and moved to a secure location by that evening. Technicians there said they planned to keep examining and disposing of the devices before confirming whether they could actually explode, and no injuries were reported in that case.
Authorities removed the suspected ordnance and lifted the shelter-in-place order by 3 p.m. Saturday, and N. Lincoln Avenue reopened.
