Loud Booms & Explosions Heard This Week — Camp Pendleton, CA, Three Points, AZ, Deadly Tennessee Plant Blast and Italian Home Explosion

From Southern California to Arizona and Tennessee, residents have heard (and felt) powerful concussive noises. Here’s a quick, verified rundown of what caused them and links to the official advisories or news coverage.

Verified Incidents & Advisories

• Chazy, New York: Loud booms and rumblings after very shallow intraplate earthquake awakens ancient Appalachian faults. Strange Sounds
• Camp Pendleton, CA — Scheduled live-fire training with explosives. North County, southwest Riverside County, and parts of Orange County may hear booms throughout the week due to high-explosive munitions training. Patch: Noise advisory · FOX 5 San Diego · Community discussion (Facebook)
• Three Points (Tucson area), AZ — Controlled detonations by bomb squad.
  Pima County Sheriff’s Department disposed of blasting caps that were turned in to a substation; residents heard multiple booms as part of the safe disposal process.
  KOLD: “Explosions heard in Three Points explained”.
• Bucksnort/McEwen, TN — Industrial plant explosion with fatalities.
  Authorities released the names of 16 people presumed dead after a catastrophic blast at a munitions facility; investigation ongoing.
  NBC News.
• Northern Italy — Multiple police officers killed in blast (separate incident).
  International reports describe officers killed during an operation after explosive devices ignited.
  Yahoo News (NZ).

How to Tell Training, Controlled Disposals, and Real Emergencies Apart

1. Check official advisories first. Military bases frequently publish noise advisories before live-fire ranges (e.g., Camp Pendleton).
2. Look for law-enforcement statements. Bomb squads often detonate old or unsafe ordnance that citizens turn in; agencies usually post explanations afterward.
3. Assess the pattern. Training and controlled disposals often happen in scheduled windows and repeat; industrial accidents are sudden and followed by heavy emergency response.
4. Contact US.

What To Do If You Hear a Boom

• Scan local police/fire feeds, county emergency pages, and nearby base advisories.
• Avoid calling 911 unless there’s immediate danger (smoke, fire, structural damage, injuries).
• Do not approach unknown metal canisters, blasting caps, fireworks, or suspected ordnance—report them.

FAQs

Why can explosions be heard so far away?

Temperature inversions, terrain, and wind duct low-frequency energy over long distances, letting booms travel far beyond the actual site.

Are these booms related to earthquakes?

Usually no. While skyquakes and small quakes can produce booms, the incidents above were either scheduled training, controlled disposals, or industrial explosions.

How often does Camp Pendleton run high-explosive ranges?

Ranges are scheduled regularly; some windows run late or overnight. Always consult the latest base noise advisory.

Sources

• FOX 5 San Diego — Loud noises expected from Camp Pendleton
• Patch — Noise Advisory: Loud Booms May Be Heard In Southwest RivCo
• Facebook group discussion
• KOLD — Explosions heard in Three Points explained
• Yahoo News (NZ) — Blast kills three police officers
• NBC News — Tennessee plant explosion, 16 presumed dead