World War I-era grenade found inside home forces evacuations, California police say

A World War I-era grenade found in an older man’s bedroom forced some evacuations in a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood, California police say.

The explosive, determined to be “potentially live,” was reported to Los Altos police at 10:15 a.m. Monday, officers said in a news release. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s bomb squad assisted police in the incident.

Four nearby homes were evacuated and other residents in the neighborhood were told to shelter in place, the release said.

After checking for fire danger and underground pipelines, the bomb squad safely detonated the century-old grenade in the home’s back yard, police said. No injuries or damage were reported.

Los Altos is a city of nearly 29,000 people south of San Francisco and west of San Jose.

This story was originally published October 12, 2021 at 11:40 AM with the headline "World War I-era grenade found inside home forces evacuations, California police say."