MAYNARD — On Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at approximately 2:34 p.m., Maynard police and firefighters responded to a home on Douglas Avenue following a report of a potentially live artillery shell found inside the residence.
According to Maynard Police Chief Christopher Troiano and Maynard Fire Chief Angela Lawless, when first responders arrived on scene, they secured the area and located what appeared to be a large, partially rusted artillery shell.
The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, which also responded to the scene, confirmed that the ordnance was live and transported it to a secluded location off Pine Hill Road, where it was safely detonated at approximately 5:30 p.m.
“I want to thank residents who may have been alarmed by the loud bang when this ordnance was safely disposed of,” Police Chief Troiano said. “It was important that we keep people away from the detonation area, so we did not want to announce this activity in advance.”
Maynard Fire Chief Angela Lawless thanked the police officers, firefighters and bomb squad technicians who worked seamlessly together to ensure the incident was handled safely.
“I also want to thank the residents who did the right thing by promptly reporting this discovery and letting us safely handle it,” Chief Lawless added.
