CRANDALL, Texas — An old military ordnance discovered by construction crews in Crandall was rendered safe by a controlled explosion Wednesday evening, according to the Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office.
On September 14, 2022, the Crandall Fire Department and Crandall Police Department were called to the 13000 block of Farm-to-Market (FM) 3039 at the site of the former Thunderbird Speedway where construction crews moving dirt near the back of the property unearthed the ordnance.
The Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office responded along with members of the Garland Police Department Bomb Squad and the United States Air Force's 301st Fighter Wing Explosive Ordnance Disposal Airmen Unit out of the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.
Kaufman County Fire Marshal Paul Ayres tells inForney.com the ordnance appeared to be a military training round approximately 1' 10" long, 5" diameter, was very corroded, and did not have any visible markings.
At approximately 8:05 p.m., crews prepared the ordnance for a controlled explosion utilizing approximately two-and-a-half pounds of C-4 plastic explosives and dirt to control the blast radius. Residents from Crandall, Combine, and Seagoville reported hearing the explosion.
Ayres said no evacuations were ordered as the closest residential structure was approximately 1/4 mile from the controlled detonation site and measures had been taken for a safe rendering of the ordnance.
The 301st Fighter Wing EOD unit took possession of the ordnance following the controlled detonation and may have answers at a later date as to the origin of the ordnance, says Ayres.
The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office and Precinct 4 Constable's Office also responded to the scene.