Landmines unearthed at Fayetteville apartment complex

Fayetteville, N.C. — Construction workers unearthed two live anti-tank mines Thursday afternoon at the Carrington Place Apartments.

Agent Joe Lenczyk, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the mines could have been buried on the site for 50 years and probably dated from World War II era.

In addition to the two live mines, about 10 training rounds were also found. The mines lacked fuses, so they posed no immediate danger of detonation, Lenczyk said.

No evacuations were necessary.

"If they had exploded, it would have been devastating damage," Lenczyk said, noting that a spark, fire or jostling by construction equipment could have set them off.

An explosives unit from Fort Bragg responded to the scene at 4230 Falmont Place. The Explosives Ordnance Disposal team will excavate the mines and take them back to the post to be destroyed.

Lenczyk declined to speculate about whether or when construction would resume. He said the decision is up to the apartment owners, who must consider whether to undertake the costly prospect of looking for other ordnance in the area.

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I am a little confused by the language in the story. How can a land mine be "live" if it has no fuse?? I guess it just sounds sexier that way.

frosty
October 31, 2008 9:24 p.m.

wa4mjf, I agree with you. By the pictures it seems like it is a new project under construction. Sort of sounds like the folks that buy a house close to the airport and complain about the noise.

Of course, if the mines have been in the ground for about 50 years, I seriously doubt that it had anything to do with terrorists.

chfdcpt
October 31, 2008 9:27 a.m.

And here we are in Cary complaining about houses painted ugly colors. At least we don't have land mines.

Scarecrow Cow
October 30, 2008 7:31 p.m.

Probaly was former Bragg land that was sold after the war. Many areas like this throughout the country. Butner comes to mind. The Army told the buyers that there was probably ordinance buried in the land, but folks chose to develop it anyway. Not the Army's job to clear it. The folks got the land at a "bargin" price for that very reason.

wa4mjf
October 30, 2008 7:23 p.m.

apartment owners, who must consider whether to undertake the costly prospect of looking for other ordnance in the area.

Interesting....... The army will come and get them if you choose to find them but if you don't look you can't build! We can pay victims for things that happened to them decades ago but we can't clean up our own war items? I hope the Army decides to take it upon themselves to keep the community safe but doing their own search for Ordnance.

something2say
October 30, 2008 7:17 p.m.