The bomb squad that covers The Woodlands and all of Montgomery County has already responded to 81 incidents in 2026, handling everything from FIFA World Cup security details in Houston to recovering radioactive material after a freeway crash.
The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office Hazardous Device Unit released its activity summary Thursday, Aug. 6, in a report published on Woodlands Online authored by Jimmy Williams of the MCFMO. The pace of deployments picked up around the World Cup events in the Houston area, when technicians juggled crowd security with a string of calls closer to home.
During World Cup games, team members deployed explosive detection K-9s and mobile radiation detection technology to screen large crowds as part of the Texas World Cup Law Enforcement response. While working those events, the squad was simultaneously called to several other incidents across the region.
What the squad handled
The MCFMO highlighted four incidents from the busy stretch:
- A 105 mm chemical projectile found at a recycling facility. Technicians determined the round was inert and removed it.
- Blasting caps discovered on a rural ranch. The caps were counter-charged on site to render them safe.
- Uranium 238 and Cesium 137 recovered after a major freeway crash, along with other federally regulated radioactive quantities.
- A grenade examined with portable x-ray equipment and determined to be inert.
The office did not provide exact dates or specific locations for the incidents.
Local relevance
The bomb squad serves all of Montgomery County, including The Woodlands, and coordinates with local agencies and state and federal partners on deployments across the region. Residents who encounter suspicious devices or materials should call 911.
The 81-deployment figure is a year-to-date total through Aug. 6. The office did not project a full-year total or announce a next reporting period.
