ASO responds to report of explosive device on newly-acquired property on Poe Springs Road, finds device to be a hoax

Press release from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – On Sunday, September 22, at 12:31 p.m., the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Combined Communications Center received a call from a property owner who reported finding what appeared to be 5–6 sticks of dynamite connected to a timer on his newly-acquired property located at 27514 NW 182nd Avenue in High Springs.

The High Springs Fire Department, Alachua County Fire Rescue, and deputies with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) responded. Based on the initial assessment that the item could be an explosive device, the ACSO Bomb Squad was activated.

Before the Bomb Squad’s arrival, deputies on scene closed NW 182nd Avenue (Poe Springs Road) in both directions and evacuated residences within close proximity to the property as a precaution.

Upon arrival, ACSO Bomb Squad members utilized specialized robots and equipment to assess the item and determine how to safely destroy it. This process took several hours and caused a significant disruption to travel along NW 182nd Avenue.

Although the Bomb Squad could not confirm with absolute certainty whether the device was live, it was treated as real, and the proper destruction protocol was carried out. After it was safely destroyed, it was determined that the device was a hoax.

At this time, it is unknown who placed the item on the property or how long it had been there.

We would like to thank the members of our community for their patience and cooperation during the extended response time. Ensuring public safety is always our top priority, and we are grateful this incident was resolved without harm.