The Marion Fire Department received a call at 9:04 am on Friday, March 24, about a suspicious device in the middle of Pumping House Road off Route 105 in Marion.
Fire Chief Brian Jackvony said firefighters secured the area, closed off the road, and viewed the suspicious device from afar using binoculars. What they were able to identify was a soda can with two lit cigarettes sticking out of the top, placed in the middle of the road on top of a water valve metal street cover.
“It was certainly out of the ordinary,” said Jackvony.
He said the protocol for an incident such as this is to contact the State Hazardous Material Division and the State Police bomb squad.
“At this point we really didn’t know what was in the can,” Jackvony said.
Hazmat was contacted in case anything flammable or chemical was contained inside the can.
After the Marion Fire Department left the scene at 10:44 am, the State Police kept the road sealed off while the bomb squad assessed the suspicious item.
According to Jackvony, the item was removed and taken with the State Police for evidence.
“We were very precautious in our approach to it,” said Jackvony.
A press release from the State Fire Marshal’s office reported that there was no threat associated with the device and it caused no damage. If anyone has information about it, they are asking you to contact either the Marion Police Department at 508-748-1212 or the State Fire Marshal’s Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit at 1-800-682-9229.
By Jean Perry