Old grenade discovery manages to tie up town

SWAMPSCOTT – A World War II grenade tied up traffic in Swampscott for almost two hours on Saturday afternoon.Detective Sgt. Tim Cassidy said a woman was cleaning out her father’s home when she found the grenade and brought it to the police station at approximately 1:42 p.m. on Saturday.”She came across the grenade, which did not appear to be a training device, in a closet,” Fire Department Spokesman Jennifer Bleiker said. “Uncertain of its volatility, the State Bomb Squad was contacted.”While waiting for the Bomb Squad to arrive, the device was placed on the lawn in between the police and fire stations. The surrounding area of Burrill Street from Rock Avenue to Claremont Terrace was cordoned off as a precaution. Neighbors in the vicinity were notified and asked to stay inside their homes in the event the grenade was active and exploded.Bleiker said after approximately 40 minutes of analysis, which included an X-Ray, the state Bomb Squad investigator determined the grenade was inactive and did not pose a threat of exploding.Bleiker said the incident was resolved by 3:25 p.m. and the streets were reopened.Cassidy said if anyone finds something that looks like a grenade or other incendiary device, they should not attempt to remove it.”Fortunately this one did not have any gunpowder in it,” he said. “But these things can be unstable. If anyone comes across a suspicious device they should vacate the area and notify police and fire.”