Massachusetts fire officials investigating chance discovery of cannonballs during trench dig

Contractors in Waltham, Massachusetts uncovered cannonballs during a dig late Monday morning, prompting a response from the police bomb squad and the fire department. 

The Waltham Fire Department notified the State Police Bomb Squad around 11 a.m. Wednesday that a construction worker had uncovered what appeared to be an “unexploded military ordinance” while excavating a trench at a job site. 

ATF personnel and a state Hazmat team responded over concerns of environmental hazards, though none were ultimately detected. 

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The Department of Fire Services tells Fox News Digital that items were determined to be cannonballs, all in various sizes. 

Bomb techs conducted visual inspections and interviews at the scene. A heavy equipment operator was able to dislodge several more cannonballs from a pipe in the trench. Officials inspected the surrounding area for other possible ordnance but found none. 

Wearing personal protective equipment, bomb technicians were able to remove 13 pieces of ordnance from the scene and take them to a safe location. The Waltham Fire Department and Waltham Police Department countercharged the items without incident.