Video: Bomb squad destroys pipe bomb found on Monroe doorstep

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MONROE, Wash. — Monroe police are searching for the person who hung a pipe bomb on a firefighter's doorstep Sunday night.

The device was left at a house on 154th and 171st streets.

The firefighter, known as "Firefighter Don," found the pipe and wires hanging on his front door Sunday night and immediately called police. A State Patrol bomb squad used a robot to remove the pipe and wires. The explosive device was taken into the street, where the robot blew it up. No one was injured.

The blast was strong enough to shake the windows of neighbors. The bomb squad then spent the entire night scouring the neighborhood with metal detectors for pieces of the pipe bomb, blown up to 60 feet away.

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A State Patrol bomb squad used a robot to retrieve and destroy a pipe bomb discovered on a firefighter's front doorstep.

A Monroe police spokeswoman, Debbie Willis, says several neighbors chose to evacuate during the incident. Now many neighbors are wondering if the firefighter or the neighborhood was the target.

"Just your regular friendly bachelor that has a busy life outside his home," said Julie Ratzlaff, neighbor. "I don't think violence is something that anybody expects to happen in their neighborhood, certainly not in Monroe."

Some say the only thing they know irritated some was the firefighter's lack of lawn care. 

"People get mad at him because of his yard, but that's about it," said Thomas Hughes, neighbor. 

"Some people are upset at his lawn being the way it is," said Tim Ratzlaff, neighbor.

Compared to neighbors' mowed and edged lawns, Firefighter Don's yard is filled with a foot-tall wall of weeds and wild grass.

Monroe police have not talked about any suspects and are not saying if the incident is a random or targeted attack. They do plan to talk to more neighbors.

"I'm just hoping this is a strange, one off occurrence," said Tim Ratzlasff. "I'm hoping it's not something indicating something bad about our neighborhood is coming."