That’s a bit overblown! Popping light bulb and packaged cookies in post office spark terror alert and quarantine amid fears of harmless powder

An 'exploding package' and spray of white powder that sparked a terror alert and resulted in 15 people being quarantined was in fact just the pop of a malfunctioning light bulb.

Emergency services were sent rushing to a small-town post office in Ranson on Friday morning when employees called the police to report a possible explosion and a white substance being released from a package.

X-rays later revealed that the 'suspicious' package was actually full of harmless cookies.

Firefighters turned up at Ranson post office after a package was found in a storage locker that employees thought exploded turned out to be filled with cookies

Authorities at the Ranson post office where staff heard a 'pop' and thought it was a bomb

Ronald Fletcher, a firefighter with Citizens Fire Co, said what was reported as an exploding package that sent white powder into the air turned out to be a malfunctioning fluorescent light

'According to the employees inside, there was a 'pop' and then they turned around and saw what appeared to be a white, powdery substance in the air. 

'They called 911 and evacuated the building,' said Robert Fletcher, a firefighter with the Citizens Fire Company.

Hazardous material and bomb experts were sent rushing to the scene in Ranson, as well as the police and a robot supplied by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department.

 

Mr Fletcher said the pop seen by employees was from the damaged four foot fluorescent light bulb above, which may have discharged white smoke.

The light was located above a parcel storage unit, which is why employees suspected a package had caused the incident.

Fourteen employees and a member of the emergency services were quarantined on a Jefferson County School bus and monitored for any possible signs of symptoms.

Concern: Fifteen people were quarantined in a school bus at Ranson Square shopping center, and traffic was restricted in the area while nearby residents were warned to stay indoors

It took nearly six hours after the call went out to Jefferson County Emergency Services for the all-clear to be given

The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department sent a robot into the building to test the air. It found no chemical agents or evidence of an explosion.

Despite the six-hour disruption, postal authorities said the mail would still be delivered Friday.

'Especially going through the postal service, you never know what's going through there,' said Eddie Gochenour, deputy director of the Berkeley County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

'It could have been something that wasn't even meant to be here. Based on past experiences, you have to take all precautions and hopefully everything will work out for the best - and it did,' he said.

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