Military Bazooka Detonates on Malibu Beach

The vintage military explosive reportedly washed ashore.

August 2, 2026

A vintage military explosive that washed ashore near Point Mugu was detonated on the beach Sunday morning, briefly closing PCH and clearing out beachgoers.

The device was spotted in the sand at Mugu Beach around 10:30 a.m., prompting State Parks police to call in the Ventura County Sheriff's bomb squad. Officials [quickly identified it](https://nypost.com/2026/07/13/us-news/super-bazooka-round-sparks-panic-on-popular-malibu-beach/) as a 1950s-era Super Bazooka round, an anti-tank weapon developed after World War II and used in the Korean War.

A sheriff's detective told the California Post that ordnance washing up on that stretch is fairly common, given its location next to Naval Base Ventura County. The beach was also used for military training in the 1940s and 50s.

Because the round was confirmed military ordnance, Navy bomb technicians took over. Determining it was too risky to move — and might still contain live explosives — they buried it in a hole in the sand and detonated it on the spot.

PCH was closed briefly for the blast.