Bomb squads detonated military ordnance found at Mugu Beach July 12, authorities said.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal responded to a report of an object that washed up near lifeguard tower No. 14 at 7800 West Pacific Coast Highway, said Sheriff's Capt. Brian Slominiski.
"They blew up the object on the beach," he said.
The sheriff's captain said PCH was closed for a few minutes while the ordnance was detonated and sheriff's deputies were on scene for a couple of hours. The bomb squad deputies typically stay on scene to help with any clean up, Slominski said.
Sheriff's deputies with the Navy "determined the ordnance was a Korean War-era super bazooka round that had washed up from the ocean and still contained live explosives," said Dan Turock of the sheriff's major crimes bomb and arson unit by email.
Turock added the beach was also momentarily closed for the response.
The Navy took responsibility for the detonation in a pit on the beach "due to the obvious dangers of transporting it away in a vehicle," he said in the email. "The beach and PCH were quickly reopened, and there were no injuries or any other issues reported."
Turock said that portion of the beach was used for military training during World War II before it became a public beach. He noted that the sheriff's office has a working relationship with the Navy's EOD Unit as a result.
About two years ago, the sheriff's office bomb squad and the Navy's team went out to the same beach for a similar incident. In a post on Instagram at the time, they advised the public that "beaches near military base property are prone to the discovery of old ordnance."
If someone happens upon "something that resembles a 'bomb,' leave it in place, evacuate the area, and call 911," the post says.
A voice message left with the California State Lifeguards was not immediately returned.