2 Grenades and a Claymore Mine Found in a Maine Resident’s House

A woman cleaning out her late father's Maine home found two grenades and a claymore mine.

How Were the Items Found?

It's a task none of us wants to think about but we'll all have to do at some point. Cleaning out our parents' home and going through all of their personal stuff. You never know what you'll find. It could be embarrassing old pictures, the stack of greeting cards they never threw away, or explosive devices you never knew they owned.

That's what happened to a woman when she was going through her recently deceased father's residence on Verrill Street in Portland. She called Portland Police just after 3:00 Saturday afternoon to report that she had found three suspicious devices in the home. When the Bomb Squad looked at the items, they found that they were two grenades and a claymore mine.

Were The Explosives Dangerous?

Since some of the devices were found to be unstable, they were recovered and removed from the house by a Hydraulic Drive Unit (HDU) robot. They were placed into a containment vessel where they would remain until they could be safely disposed of. No one was hurt in the incident.

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Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois says the woman did the right thing.

If you ever discover a suspicious package or device, it is always best to be safe and call emergency personnel to assess the situation.

Portland's HDU is one of only three FBI-accredited bomb teams in Maine and is made up of five exceptionally trained technicians.

What is a Claymore Mine?

According to the U.S. Army, a Claymore mine is a directional, fixed-fragmentation device typically used in massed infantry attacks, but can also be used against small vehicles. It can be detonated using a remote control or by attaching a trip-wire and, when activated, will release a number of steel balls across a wide area.