MIAMI — The Homestead Air Reserve Base was evacuated Wednesday night after a 500-pound bomb fell off an F-16 fighter jet while it was still on the ground, a source with knowledge of the base said.
The source, who requested to remain anonymous, added that the bomb rolled into an area near where more 500-pound bombs are stored.
Tyler Grimes, the public affairs chief for the base, said no other information was immediately available.
“We are asking folks to avoid the area,” he added.
As of 9 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Air Force explosive ordnance disposal personnel were in the process of disarming the device that dropped.
It wasn’t immediately clear how or from where the ordnance dropped.
The evacuation of base personnel was “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the post.
People were being asked to avoid the area of Southwest 137th Avenue to Waterstone Boulevard from Southwest 288th Street to 312th Street. Residents in the area were advised to stay in their homes.
Miami-Dade police and Homestead police are assisting.
At around 8:30 p.m., an officer in a Miami-Dade police cruiser was blocking traffic along Southwest 127th Avenue just south of Homestead Air Reserve Park.
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