VERO BEACH — A military flare washed ashore and ignited on a Vero Beach shoreline Thursday, prompting a response from local police and bomb disposal teams who safely removed the device.
The flare, described as a cylindrical canister emitting flames and smoke, was spotted around 11 a.m. in the 1100 block of Olde Doubloon Drive, just south of South Beach Park. A sea turtle monitoring contractor noticed the smoke while walking the beach and alerted authorities, according to officials.
Vero Beach police quickly cordoned off the area to keep beachgoers at a safe distance. Explosives experts from Patrick Space Force Base and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad arrived on scene and disposed of the flare without incident. No homes were evacuated, and there were no reports of injuries.
“It’s definitely a flare. They’re just taking precautions,” Vero Beach Police Officer Kelsea Callahan said in a statement.
The device contained white phosphorus, a substance used in military applications for illumination, smokescreens or incendiary purposes, according to the World Health Organization. It can ignite spontaneously in air above 86 degrees Fahrenheit and produce harmful smoke.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Miami office confirmed no training exercises were underway along the Treasure Coast that day, leaving the flare’s origin unclear.
This marks the second unusual military-related find on Vero Beach shores in recent weeks. Last month, parts of what appeared to be a World War II-era sea mine surfaced after Hurricane Erin passed offshore, also handled by Space Force teams.
