After 65 years, the U.S. military now says an old bombing range near Sahuarita could be a danger to the public.
The range, which is on state trust land, is near a high school, a church and a new housing development.
In the 1940s and ’50s, 27,000 acres east of Sahuarita was used as an Air Force bombing range for training during World War II.
But bombs, fuses, and ammo have all been found in this area, prompting action from the state and federal government.
The action for now is to put up 100 warning signs around the site. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is spearheading the effort and should be done by the end of March.
You can see a map of the site here . It extends from Wilmot Road west, almost to South Nogales Highway, and many miles north to south.
“I’d just hate as the mayor, as a citizen, for something to go wrong,” Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy said.
So far, no one has reported injuries from anything old they’ve run into on the range.
But as Sahuarita grows, the range is now near a new housing development and a church.