CRANSTON, RI — A grenade discovered in a shed at a Cranston property prompted a response from police, firefighters, and the Rhode Island Bomb Squad Wednesday afternoon. Officials said the device was found inside a metal container while someone was cleaning out the residence or estate at 109 Wilbur Ave.
Responders arrived around 1:05 p.m. and took control of the scene. Bomb technicians then examined the device and decided it could be moved safely to their facility for later destruction.
Cleanup at 109 Wilbur Ave. led to the discovery
Authorities said the grenade turned up during work at the property rather than during an emergency call. The object was found in a shed, where it had been stored inside a metal container.
The circumstances suggest the device was uncovered during a routine cleanout, but officials have not said how long it had been there. They also have not identified the person doing the cleaning or explained whether the home was occupied.
That kind of discovery can quickly change a normal property cleanup into a police and fire response. In this case, crews treated the find as potentially dangerous until the bomb squad could assess it.
Police and firefighters secured the area before bomb technicians arrived
Cranston police officers and firefighters were the first public-safety units dispatched after the discovery. Their role was to keep the area controlled while the bomb squad made its assessment.
Officials did not say whether nearby residents had to leave the area, and they did not report any injuries. No damage was reported at the property, either.
The quick coordination between agencies helped prevent the situation from escalating. Once the bomb squad arrived, the focus shifted from scene safety to the device itself and whether it could be transported without risk.
Bomb technicians tested the device and chose transport over destruction on site
The Rhode Island Bomb Squad said it conducted diagnostic testing on the grenade before making a decision about next steps. Based on that evaluation, investigators determined the device could be moved safely to the squad’s facility.
That decision meant the grenade did not have to be destroyed immediately at the Cranston property. Instead, it was taken away and placed in the bomb squad’s custody pending destruction.
Officials did not immediately say whether the grenade was live. They also did not describe the device in more detail, including its age or origin.
Officials have not said whether the grenade was active
One unanswered question remains whether the grenade was actually live. Authorities said only that they had not immediately confirmed that detail.
Even without that answer, the response shows how seriously officials treated the item once it was discovered. A grenade-shaped object inside a container in a shed was enough to bring in specialized technicians and trigger a controlled removal.
The bomb squad’s facility will handle the final destruction, closing out an incident that started as a cleanout and ended with a hazardous-device response.
What the Cranston response shows about bomb squad procedure
The response followed a familiar pattern for suspicious ordnance. Local police and firefighters secure the scene first, then bomb technicians evaluate the object, decide whether it can be moved, and either destroy it in place or transport it.
Here, the squad chose transport after testing the device. That approach reduced the need for a larger disruption at the property and allowed trained specialists to control the disposal process later.
For residents, the incident is a reminder that items found during a cleanup may still pose a serious safety concern. In this case, authorities acted quickly and kept the device out of general traffic until it reached the bomb squad facility.
No injuries or further threat were reported after the removal
Officials did not report any injuries connected with the discovery, and they did not announce any broader threat to the neighborhood. The focus remained on safely handling the device and clearing the scene.
Because investigators have not said whether the grenade was live, the case may remain limited to a disposal operation rather than a criminal investigation. At this point, public information centers on the removal, the testing, and the planned destruction.
The grenade is now awaiting destruction at the Rhode Island Bomb Squad facility.
Local stories that matter, from Fairmont Flyer.