Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Bomb found in desert detonated

With the first anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing at hand, even a crude pipe bomb in the middle of the desert merits serious attention from local safety officials.

The Henderson Fire Department and Las Vegas Fire Department Bomb Squad combined forces Thursday to detonate a pipe bomb found north of Lake Mead Drive near Navajo Drive -- a good distance from residential neighborhoods.

A man driving a 4-by-4 recreational vehicle about 10 a.m. almost ran over the bomb, then phoned authorities.

"We have absolutely no reason to believe this has anything to do with that (the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing)," Henderson Fire Battalion Chief Patrick Maston said.

He said there are few ways to tell how the bomb got there. But had it been a terrorist act commemorating the bombing, the device probably would have been put in a structure in a populated area, he said.

The Henderson Fire Department, after investigating the find, opted to call in Las Vegas bomb experts to perform what is called a "render safe operation" -- law enforcement jargon for blowing it up.

"It made quite an explosion," Maston said. "It kicked dirt up about 10 feet and left a scar on the surface, but no crater."

Such explosive devices can be sensitive as they are made of unstable chemicals and may be equipped with temper switches.

Maston said they can be even more unpredictable if left out in the elements such as the extreme desert heat.

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