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WQARF ERF | North 27th Ave - History

North 27th Avenue | WQARF Emergency Response Funded Site

Site History

Revised On: Feb. 26, 2024 - 1:40 p.m.

The 27th Avenue Remediation Site was originally developed and utilized in a residential capacity in the early 1960’s. It was then purchased by a private landowner in 1980 and during the period of 1985 to 1990 the land owner used portions of the property in the design and assembly of non-lethal lifesaving munitions for the police and military. The property was also used as a residential and rental property after 1990. For a portion of the time, ending in the late 1990’s the property was used as a storage facility for various munitions and supplies. In the late 1990’s these inventories were removed from the property and/or destroyed by government agencies. No other uses of the property have been identified (Preferred Environmental Services, May 2003). 

In November 2013, a visitor to the Starflash Ranch property was injured by an explosive device. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) discovered several hand grenades and grenade fuzes during the investigation of the incident.

On January 1, 2015, MCSO responds to the discovery by the current land owner of 35mm film containers containing highly sensitive explosives per the report and 97 blasting caps.