VERO BEACH – Someone walking along the shoreline south of South Beach Park found a cylindrical canister spewing flames and smoke Sept. 18, police said.
The device, found to be a military flare, was disposed of by an explosives disposal teams from Patrick Space Force Base and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office around 11 a.m., said a Vero Beach Police Department spokesperson.
The device, called a “marking flare” was found on a beach area in the 1100 block of Olde Doubloon Drive.
Officer Kelsea Callahan said there were no evacuations of homes.
“It’s definitely a flare,” said Callahan. “They’re just taking precautions.”
The location was roped off by police while the bomb disposal teams were traveling to the area. The Space Force team arrived around 10:45 a.m., she said.
“It was called in by a person walking the beach this morning,” Callahan said. “They saw smoke coming from what they believed to be a flare.”
There was no information available about where the flare came from. The U.S. Coast Guard office in Miami said it did not have any training on the Treasure Coast Sept. 18.
What appears to be the word “marker” is at the top of the device while other writing observed on the large gray cylinder appears to provide instructions how to activate or deploy the flare with the warning, “do not handle, contains phosphorus.”
White phosphorus is used for military purposes in grenades and artillery shells to produce illumination, to generate a smokescreen and as an incendiary, according to the World Health Organization.
It ignites spontaneously in air at temperatures above 86 degrees and continues to burn until it is fully oxidized or until deprived of oxygen. Burning phosphorus produces dense, white, irritating smoke containing mixed phosphorus oxides and can be harmful to the eyes and respiratory tract, according to the WHO.
(This story was updated with new information.)
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Military flare found ignited on beach in Vero Beach; bomb teams dispose of it
Reporting by Corey Arwood, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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