An unexploded ordnance caused a shelter-in-place and temporary evacuations at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck Friday morning, according to officials.

Officials at the station say that a suspicious item was reported in the wood line behind building C-11 around 10:30 a.m. A shelter-in-place was issued while the item was investigated.

Officials determined that the time was an unexploded ordnance. They say that it was inert, but still contained an active fuse. They decided that the safest way to dispose of it was to detonate it in place.

The shelter-in-place was lifted, but nearby buildings were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.

“The quick thinking and vigilance of our Navy Facilities Command employee made all the difference today,” wrote Capt. Kent D. Smith, commanding officer of Naval Weapons Station Earle, in a statement. “Their decision to report the suspicious item is exactly why we emphasize, ‘If you see something, say something.”

The item was safely detonated just before 3:30 p.m.