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Billings police share safety message, dashcam video of mysterious combustibles on streets

Dashcam of tin foil ball explosion
Posted at 6:28 PM, Sep 11, 2023
and last updated 2023-09-12 13:04:55-04

BILLINGS — Billings police are telling drivers to keep their heads on a swivel, as reports continue of small explosions happening around town.

Over the last few months and as recently as Thursday night, Billings police say drivers have been driving over small, tinfoil balls that are filled with an unknown substance, which triggers a reaction creating a loud bang and sparks.

“When it's ran over by a car, it has a reaction, whatever chemicals or whatever is inside of it, it blows apart. So makes a little boom," said. Lt. Matt Lennick with the Billings Police Department.

Billings police have received seven reports of these incidents, two of which were patrol officers themselves driving over the tinfoil balls.

No injuries or damage to vehicles has been reported.

“It seems to be the most dangerous part of it, is the reaction to the noise and the sparks if you see it. So we were just afraid that people would cause a crash or something like that if they hit one," said Lt. Lennick.

Billings police have assigned investigators to the rash of small explosions and say if you see one, try to avoid it and report it to police so they can get to the bottom of what's inside the mysterious tin foil balls.