Bomb squad detonates grenade that fell from attic in Bel Aire house

Some Bel Aire residents were evacuated for several hours and others told to stay indoors after a live hand grenade fell from an attic Thursday as a construction crew was working on a house damaged last week by fire.

Someone called 911 just before noon after the grenade was discovered at 5081 E. Willow Point, Bel Aire Police Chief Darrell Atteberry said. The house was damaged in a fire last week, he said, and a crew was there to start reconstruction.

“As they tore into the ceiling, a hand grenade dropped from the attic area,” Atteberry said.

The construction crew backed out as a precaution and called the homeowner, who in turn called 911 at 11:56 a.m. Authorities set up a perimeter around the house, which is southeast of Oliver and 45th Street North.

Residents on either side of the house were evacuated, Atteberry said, while people in other nearby homes were advised to shelter in place.

The current owner has lived there for just 11 months, Atteberry said, and was unaware that the grenade was in the attic. The Wichita Police Department sent its bomb squad to the scene to check for additional devices and take care of the grenade.

Crews took the grenade out to the bomb range shortly after 2:45 p.m. to detonate it, according to a Sedgwick County emergency dispatcher.

This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Bomb squad detonates grenade that fell from attic in Bel Aire house."