Sounded like warzone (anti-aircraft and artillery fire) about 20 miles from house

About 18 months ago I was sitting at my desk doing work (9:40pm) when I was really startled by some loud distant explosions that sounded like the grand finale of fireworks in the near by city, but much louder. I am located in SE PA if that matters.



There were no holidays near this day and no celibrations listed in the paper. I went outside and expected the sounds to stop after a few minutes but they continued for well over an hour (until about 11:20pm) I could tell the were coming from the south (towards our city about 15-18 miles away) and it sounded similar to the 4th of july fireworks the city sets off every year, but these were louder and different. It sounded much more like a fire-fight and anti-aircraft (AA) guns along with tremendous booms (about 3 – 6 together) that sounded more like a bomb or artillery (155mm howitzer) or something. While the faster “quieter booms” (AA type sound) were more constant & faster with about 15-20 closely spaced bursts then a 3-5 second pause of quiet (unless there were big booms), then it started again.

I couldn't figure anything that could be making this noise, or a reason for fireworks if that is indeed what they were. There is an air national guard base about 40 miles in the opposite direction that I hear from time to time when they run training drills, but this wasn't that at all (and probably 60 miles opposite direction)

I spent the next two hours calling the Police and fire departments in every direction (about 40+ stations) within a 30-40 mile radius and no one reported hearing these sounds. One department assured me that it was a celebration for one of the local ethnic communities in the city, but when talking to the city police they stated that only very small consumer fireworks were used, like those bought at a grocery store so that wasn't it.

While I stood outside listening to the sounds, it made me think of a war zone in the distance and it was pretty intense. I also called the local TV stations and news papers and got no leads. The National guard base assured me there was no activity that night as well as the fire department 1 mile from them.

I've lived through many 4th of July celebrations where the fireworks could be heard in my house but the never shook my windows and certainly were never so loud as to actually startle me and give me cause for concern.

I would guess other people heard these sounds but didn't bother to call in and report them so the fact that none of the PD or FD's had reports doesn't mean a lot.

Possible they were building a road somewhere? Like blasting the earth? Odd nobody else heard it though

Country boys shooting tannerite loaded targets?
Pretty common occurence where I come from.

I would guess other people heard these sounds but didn't bother to call in and report them so the fact that none of the PD or FD's had reports doesn't mean a lot.

So you were the only person in a 40 mile radius to report and/or enquire about these sounds to any police or fire dept? I live in a town of only 2700 and I guarantee if that was going on, there'd be several dozen people calling and wanting explanations.

It sounded much more like a fire-fight and anti-aircraft (AA) guns along with tremendous booms (about 3 – 6 together) that sounded more like a bomb or artillery (155mm howitzer) or something. While the faster “quieter booms” (AA type sound) were more constant & faster with about 15-20 closely spaced bursts then a 3-5 second pause of quiet (unless there were big booms), then it started again.

No newspaper articles or TV news reports on that much noise?

or acetylene bombs....all the rage these days......

At that time in the evening, it would not be scheduled rock or road blasting.
That has to be done 1 hour after sun rise and 1 hour before sun set.

Perhaps it was a private celebration, like a wedding with fireworks.
Sound travels quite the distance and will echo off other structures.

But who know

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

I live near the ft hood artillery range. The big guns boom pretty loud. They are nice enough to usually stop by 9pm

isn`t there a military proving ground across the border from you in north east Maryland?

I can say that a neighbor about 1/2 mile away could hear the sounds when he went outside, but due to the topography of his residence, it wasn't as noticeable as he has a large hill facing south immediately behind his house (where the sound seems to have originated).

It should be said that there really can't be any explanation of normal fireworks or guns/tannerite being the cause. From where I live as I would head towards the noise, the more dense the population gets every mile until reaching the city. The 4 miles south of me is moderated suburban population and farm land (the rest 10 miles to city is thick suburbanism) and if there was any gun fire or "questionable" fireworks (only small fireworks are legal) in that area, the police would be there promptly and it would NOT last 100 minutes or so.

There is a large proving ground south of us by about 60-70 miles but I've never heard anything from them, maybe some fly overs as well as from Dover AFB.

I want to better explain how loud it was. we have large 4th of July displays in the city and I rarely hear most of the event until the grand finale and when I do I woulnd't be able to hear it with the TV on moderate levels unless the wind were blowing from the event to my direction. I get slight rumbles in the windows on some firework explosions on the 4th. So you kind of have to be looking for it to really hear it and if you are side tracked, very little chance of hearing them.

In my area most people would have been inside or even in bed so the number of people who might have heard the noise is probably pretty small and the way people are these days how many would you expect to call in to ask about distant sounds that sound like fireworks?

A few minutes after hearing these noises and going outside and realizing it sounded more like AA and artillery I thought this is what it might have sounded like during the battle of Los Angeles way back in the 40's or whatever (look that up for those who don't know what I'm talking about). It was like a downstairs neighbor was watching a war movie a moderate speaker system, especially hearing the larger rattling booms.

The weather that night was mostly clear with about 80-85% humidity with the winds coming from the SW, so that would allow sounds to carry better from the city to me.

This was definately not neighbors as they are all pretty far away and I walked around trying to see if it got louder in any one direction so there was no local source. I then wondered (very far stretch) if there was some kind of directional sound system pointed at my house but that wouldn't account for a neighbor 1/2 mile away being able to hear it when outside as well.

When i could get no corroboration of others hearing it (the PD's and FD's) I started to think I was hearing something from another dimension or something "out of time", lol. IDK, it really baffled me as I've heard fireworks displays for 30+ years from this location and they are either from the city to the south or town to the east and this is the only time I felt kind of concerned because it was so non-normal in the sounds produced.

someone also mentioned mining, drilling or construction and I didn't see any projects in the area and I can't imagine any construction that would have such sustained explosions for such a long period of time.

There has been many unexplained booms that shake the house and some moderate sustained rattles/shaking (5-15 seconds), sometimes thinking we had an earthquake (we get small ones) but none were reported - many neighbors have heard these unidentified rattles and booms as well. On some occasions they are in fact earthquakes that were detected at nearby university (about 15 miles away).

originally posted by: GBP/JPY
or acetylene bombs....all the rage these days......

I made those back in the 70's. (Large garbage sacks and newspaper fuses.) You could hear the booms thundering across the countryside, far, far away. Amazing!

Duds if too much acetylene was used were hilarious. Big blurb of smoke and no noise.

Ive heard similar. I was walking home. Behind me was a cell tower. The sounds were more like guns not fireworks. I heard a father say they didnt sound like fireworks to his kid across the street. I stopped hearing a few blocks down.