Bottle bombs — NPD locates and destroys bombs
After a report of a suspicious circumstance on Tuesday morning, the Newcastle Police Department destroyed three devices, determined to be what is commonly referred to as a “bottle bomb,” “Draino bomb” or “Works bomb,” according to information provided by Chief Derek Thompson. Thompson told the News Letter Journal in an interview that the incident is currently being investigated under Wyoming Statute 6-3-111, which prohibits the possession, manufacture, transportation and sale of explosives, improvised explosive devices or incendiary apparatus with unlawful intent.
“On April 22, 2025, at approximately 8:15 a.m., the Newcastle Police Department responded to a report of suspicious circumstances on Carter Avenue. The reporting party stated there were three bottles, equally spaced, next to the sidewalk on the west side of Carter Avenue,” the release from Thompson says. “Upon arrival, three 2-liter bottles were located, on the grass between the sidewalk and curb. The bottles contained what the responding officer suspected to be drain or toilet-bowl cleaner and aluminum foil.”
The bottles and contents, the release says, appear to be consistent with the previously mentioned bombs.
The department consulted with the bomb squad from the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office to determine the best way to handle the situation. The department learned that the safest way to render the bombs harmless “is to puncture them from a distance so they have a way of draining to relieve the pressure or they explode.”
“The bombs do pose a significant danger to anyone who is up close to them when they explode. Based on the guidance we received, we chose (to) detonate them by using a particular type of rifle projectile that fragments very easily upon impact, significantly reducing the likelihood of damaging any surrounding property,” the release says. “Two of the three devices exploded when they were struck by the projectile and one device was punctured and the contents were drained.”
According to the release, the explosion produced by these bombs is caused by the “development of hydrogen gas through a chemical reaction caused by mixing the chemicals found in the cleaner with the tinfoil.”
“The hydrogen gas creates pressure inside of the bottle, causing an explosion once the bottle ruptures. Although most of these devices do not create a large explosion in comparison to some other explosives, they are still extremely dangerous and even deadly,” the release says. “Explosions from these bottle bombs can cause significant injury or death to anyone in close contact with the bottle when the explosion occurs. The chemical reaction also creates a significant amount of heat and can cause serious burns to bystanders upon explosion.”
Thompson told the News Letter Journal that bottle bombs can detonate as quickly as 30 seconds after the ingredients are put in the bottle. He said agitation can cause the explosion to occur faster.
Thompson further told the News Letter Journal that these types of bombs appear to be a common occurrence across the nation. He noted he found cases dating back to 2013 and that Campbell County reportedly had an issue with these types of bombs at one point in its history.
Thompson also reported that the department had information that these types of bombs were being made in the community but that they lacked the evidence until today.
The department is urging citizens to be on the lookout for bottles or any containers containing tin foil and/or any other suspicious contents, bottles placed in areas that would otherwise be unlikely, or any other suspicious circumstances.
Anyone who thinks they have located a potential bomb should call 911 immediately. Additional instructions can be found in the accompanying sidebar.
Thompson also encourages parents to talk to their children to help them understand the dangers of “tampering or playing with items like this or any item or object that they don’t know what it is.”
Sidebar: If anyone suspects they have found one of these devices, please follow the these steps:
- Do not, under any circumstances, touch or tamper with the suspected bomb.
- Evacuate the immediate area.
- Call 911 immediately for professional help.
- If you have any reason to believe this is a bomb, do not take a chance or worry about possible embarrassment if the item turns out to be harmless.
(Source: Police Chief Derek Thompson)