BOULDER COUNTY — Several agencies, including Boulder County’s Regional Bomb Squad, spent 11 hours near Ponderosa Way in unincorporated Boulder County on April 19, 2026, responding to the discovery of a metal case containing five suspected homemade improvised explosive devices (IEDs). 

The Bomb Squad, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and Timberline Fire Protection District responded to a call shortly after 8 a.m. about the suspicious case being seen in a roadside ditch. The person reporting stated they had opened the case and identified what could best be described as IEDs. 

Boulder County’s bomb technicians assessed the safety of the surrounding area and identified the contents of the case as IEDs and “components consistent with potentially functioning devices.” A shelter-in-place order was issued to the neighborhood at noon and was not lifted until after 7 p.m., once fully-suited technicians had contained the devices and transported them away, ending any threat to the area. 

“Bomb Squad technicians needed to adjust tactics during the operation for safety reasons," a press release from BCSO stated, "which extended the time needed to secure the devices.”

BCSO released an update on Tuesday, April 21, specifying that, after examination, the devices were found to have some components common with a pipe bomb but did not contain any explosive material. 

“Without that key element, the devices were not capable of detonating,” the update stated. 

This incident shocked nearby residents, though some longtime Nederland community members shared memories online of past scares featuring homemade explosives, including the 2016 attempted bombing of the Nederland Police Station within the Caribou Village Shopping Center. 

Some new residents to the neighborhood remarked on the Facebook community page, Nedheads, about the incident, stating they were happy to be safe and—despite the “hell of a housewarming gift” found early that Sunday morning, as one resident wrote—were glad to be living in a helpful community where they can rely on their neighbors. 

BCSO included in their press release a refresher on what a person should do if they encounter a suspicious package or item. First, do not touch or move the package; leave the area as quickly as possible; and call 911 and provide the dispatcher with as much descriptive information as possible.