25 ‘dangerous’ unexploded fireworks shells wash up on Massachusetts beach, police say

Over two dozen unexploded fireworks shells washed up on a beach on Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday, prompting a response from the Massachusetts State Police bomb squad and local officials, the department announced.

Officials are warning the public of the “extremely dangerous” explosives and stated more unexploded shells could wash up, state police said.

A total of 25 unexploded firework shells were found by the state police bomb squad and the local fire department at a Chappaquiddick beach on Martha’s Vineyard on July 5, the day after the town-sponsored Edgartown Independence Day firework show, police said.

The shells were found by a homeowner on a beach running along Chappaquiddick Road, about half a mile down the beach from the Chappaquiddick Beach Club. The nearest business to where the shells were found is Marshall Farm Wood-Works, located on Chappaquiddick Road.

The shell casings found range in size from eight inches, six inches, four inches and three inches, the department said.

An investigation into the vendor at Edgartown, named Central Maine Pyrotechnics, showed the pyrotechnic company may have intentionally thrown the unexploded shells into the ocean, police said.

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“These shells are highly explosive and extremely hazardous,” said Edgartown Fire Chief Alexander Schaeffer.

“All of the known shells have been cleared from the beach, but there is a possibility that more may wash up. They should not be handled by anyone except trained professionals. If you encounter an unknown object like the ones in this photo, please call 9-1-1 right away so professionals can safely dispose of it.”