The Cohasset Police and Fire Departments, with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and State Police Bomb Squad, conducted a controlled burn of 150 pounds of ammunition Thursday that was found inside a vacant Cohasset home. The ammo was destroyed at the Cohasset DPW garage. (Photo courtesy Cohasset Police Department) 
Buckets of ammunition are loaded into a dumpster at the Cohasset DPW garage to be destroyed. The State Fire Marshal’s Office and State Police Bomb Squad assisted local police and fire crews. (Photo courtesy Cohasset Police Department)
COHASSET — Chief William Quigley reports that Cohasset Police responded to a Jerusalem Road address Monday after being contacted by a contractor who reported finding several thousand rounds of live ammunition inside a vacant house he was working on.
Upon arrival, officers found numerous 5-gallon buckets containing more than 150 pounds of old shotgun, rifle and handgun ammunition. The ammunition was decaying, and black powder was leaking from most of the ammo.
Officers quickly notified the State Fire Marshal’s Office and sent photos of the ammunition to troopers assigned to the State Police Bomb Squad. Members of the State Police Bomb Squad respond to further assess the situation.
After viewing the buckets of ammo, a determination was made that it was not prudent to move the ammo more than a mile away for destruction. Arrangements were made in coordination with the Cohasset Fire Department and Cohasset DPW for the ammo to be transported by a DPW dump truck filled with sand and placed inside an empty dumpster at the DPW garage to carry out a controlled burn to dispose of the unstable ammo.
Cedar Street and the DPW garage were closed for more than two hours while the ammo was safely moved and organized for destruction. It is unclear who owned the ammo or how long it may have been leaking powder inside the vacant home.
“I applaud the contractor for his decision to contact police right away upon finding the ammo, and for our officers and state officials for handling the situation in a timely and efficient manner,” Chief Quigley said.
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