GEARHART The Oregon State Police diffused a pipe bomb found in a parking lot in an industrial park in the 3500 block of U.S. Highway 101 North Thursday.

The pipe bomb was a plastic pipe, 6- to 8- inches long and 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, said Steve Hays, president of Pacific Alarm Systems, which is located in the park. The bomb had capped ends, with a hole drilled through one end and a fuse running from the hole.

“It was real,” Hays said.

Gearhart Police Chief Jeff Bowman said the pipe bomb contained powder similar to that found in a firecracker. Although the powder isn’t as explosive as some, it will explode if put under pressure, he said.

Bowman said the contents of a storage unit on the property had been auctioned recently, and the bomb may have come from that unit. Several people had seen the bomb on the ground over the past few days but hadn’t reported it, he said.

People should report anything that looks suspiciously like a bomb, but they should not pick it up. “Just because there’s a fuse that hasn’t been ignited, it doesn’t mean it won’t explode,” Bowman said.

Bombs can have internal switches that could go off if they are picked up, he added.

Hays said that, at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, a maintenance man that oversees the industrial park found the pipe bomb and a plastic bag on the parking lot between a building housing Randall Lee’s flooring shop and a mini-storage area.

The maintenance man brought the bomb to Hays and asked him what he should do with it. Hays replied, “That looks real,” and told him to put it down on the ground. Hays then called the police.

Bowman responded to the call and alerted the state bomb squad. Employees from the alarm company, Randall Lee’s, St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and the mini-storage operation were evacuated. Bowman placed yellow tape around a 100-yard perimeter and kept people away from the scene.

The bomb squad arrived about two hours later. After dressing in their protective gear, squad members placed the bomb on a grassy area and sprayed it with a water jet with pressure hard enough to break the pipe and dilute the powder, Hays said.

No injuries occurred. Employees were able to return to their offices at 1:30 p.m.