Device Found Near I-80 In Vacaville Was Rice Cooker; Napa Explosive Squad, K-9 Officer Grizz Investigated Item

SOLANO COUNTY, CA – A suspicious device found on the sidewalk of a street under Interstate Highway 80 in Vacaville this morning was a rice cooker, a city spokesman said.

Mason Street was shut down between Peabody Road and Depot Street after the device was reported between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Vacaville city spokesman Mark Mazzaferro said.

An explosive ordnance disposal team responded to the incident and X-rayed the device before deeming it harmless, Mazzaferro said.

"Big thanks to the Napa County Sheriff Office's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team, and Solano Sheriff Office K-9 Grizz for their assistance investigating today's suspicious device," the Vacaville Police Department said. "Roadways were closed for citizen safety due to the possibility of the item being an improvised explosive device (IED). Eventually, the device was determined to be a discarded rice cooker that posed no safety threat."

Mason Street reopened around noon, he said.

The incident was the second in the Bay Area today involving a suspicious device that turned out to be a rice cooker. (See photo of SF rice cooker in story here.)

The other was found at a bus stop at the busy intersection of South Van Ness Avenue at Mission Street in San Francisco around 7:30 a.m. today. Police responded and determined it was safe shortly after 9 a.m.

Both incidents follow the pressure-bomb explosion in New York Saturday night that injured 29 people. Law enforcement officials from the local to federal levels, since 9/11, have emphasized, "If you see something, say something."

Also see: Oil Sheens On San Pablo Bay Still Under Investigation; Vallejo Odor Dissipated

--Bay City News and Bea Karnes contributed to this report/Images via Vacaville PD