Construction crew in California finds explosives
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Construction crews at a development site in Sacramento County had to halt work due to digging up an explosive, with some saying the explosive could possibly be related to an explosion back in 1973.
April 28, 1973 is a day some in the Sacramento area remember well. The scene was the result of a train, carrying munitions for the Vietnam War, catching fire and exploding in the Roseville Railyards.
"We just sat there and watched the bombs go off at night," said Larry Fritz, the President of the Citrus Heights Historical Society, who as 18-years-old at that time.
"And just, you know, about every four or five minutes you'd see a big, you know, orange fireball going off," Fritz described.
Fritz still has the accident investigation report.
"When the boxcar exploded, some of them that were just thrown away, far away from the boxcar and didn't go off," Fritz further detailed.
That's why he says he's not surprised to hear construction crews found an old rusted bomb while digging in that area more than 50 years later.
"It's right where it should be...The bomb today was right near the epicenter," Fritz shared.
"It's crazy, right? 51 years later, things like this could still potentially be popping up," said Amar Ghandi with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).
Ghandi says he can't confirm yet if it's from the Roseville Railyards explosion, but says it's hard to rule out.
"I'd never say never. Our bomb squad guys haven't said that just yet, but obviously they'll get into that," Ghandi expressed.
"Poker Lane is right here. I can't think of any other reason why it would be there. And so, I'm pretty certain that's from the the 1973 explosion," Fritz remarked.
If that's the case, Fritz says there are likely more.
"They're out there, I'm sure. You know, because there were so many," Fritz said.
That area looks quite a bit different than it did more than 50 years ago, but even with time, it's history is proving to be just as prevalent.
