Hopkinton Police and Fire Departments Investigate Bottle Containing Partially Detonated Fireworks Found in Wooded Area

HOPKINTON — Police Chief Joseph Bennett and Fire Chief Gary Daugherty report that the Hopkinton Police and Fire Departments responded to a wooded area in town on Monday afternoon, following the discovery of a plastic bottle containing live and spent fireworks.

At 1:57 p.m. on Monday, April 21, Hopkinton Police received a call reporting a suspicious device. Later, it was determined to be a plastic bottle containing partially detonated fireworks. Residents found the bottle in the woods on private property more than a mile away from the Boston Marathon route.

Hopkinton Police and Fire personnel responded, along with the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

State Police bomb technicians conducted a visual examination and X-ray diagnostics and determined the bottle contained expended and live energetic material in the form of consumer-grade fireworks. The bomb technicians safely removed the contents for documentation and transport from the scene.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the bottle was first spotted days earlier, over the weekend, but reported to authorities on Monday.  An investigation into the object’s origin remains active and ongoing.

“Any unexploded firework or suspicious object found after a firework display should be considered live and dangerous,” said Fire Chief Daugherty. “Do not touch. Notify the fire department or police department immediately, by calling 911, for proper handling and disposal.”

Chief Bennett and Chief Daugherty asked parents to impress upon their children that fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts because they are dangerous.

“Every year in Massachusetts, illegal fireworks cause serious injuries and property damage,” said Police Chief Bennett. “If you know anything about this object, call.”

“Anything suspicious should be treated as dangerous,” said Fire Chief Daugherty. “If you discover something like this, call 911 and let the experts remove it.”

“At this time, there is no evidence that suggests there was any intention to cause harm to the public,” said Police Chief Bennett. “Although it was reported the same day as the Boston Marathon, we found nothing to suggest it was related to the event. Thank you to the conscientious residents who reported finding this object in the woods. That was the right call to make.”

###