FORT JACKSON, SC -- Nearly 50 residents and employees were evacuated from the housing area Tuesday morning after construction workers uncovered eight 1940s-era 75 mm rounds from a construction site.
"Construction workers uncovered these objects, and they did the right thing and backed out of (the area) and called us," said Chief Billy Forrester, Fort Jackson Fire Department.
The rounds were discovered in the new officer housing area, near Furman Smith Road and Knight Avenue.
"They were blank rounds, but they actually had black powder in them (as well as) primer," he said. "They did pose an explosive threat."
Once the area was cleared, the EOD team "contained" the rounds and later destroyed them at the EOD range, Forrester said.
Forrester said precautions are being taken to check for additional UXOs prior to resuming digging.
Barbara Corbett, manager of Jack's Inn, was one of those evacuated.
"The fire department did a beautiful job," she said. "My main concern was my people and the occupants."
She estimated that the entire ordeal lasted 2 1/2 hours.
Forrester said residents should not be overly concerned by the incident, but should always be cautious and call 911 if they come across something they think is a UXO. The rounds were uncovered during the grading process, which means construction workers had to dig several feet with heavy machinery in order to uncover them.
"These were well buried," he said. "It's not like they're just laying around the housing area where kids can get them."
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