LPD officer injured in explosion under west Lincoln bridge, police say

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — An officer was injured Thursday morning in an explosion under a west Lincoln bridge, police say.

Around 7 a.m., officers responded to a camp under a bridge near First and West O streets.

They found a campfire, so Lincoln Fire & Rescue crews were called to put it out.

After the campfire was extinguished, a blanket nearby exploded, leaving a Lincoln Police Department officer with minor burns to his skin and hair.

The officer was not treated by medical crews and returned to duty after the call, LPD said.

Several butane cartridges were later found at the scene, according to LFR.

A 28-year-old man was cited on suspicion of criminal trespass.

One worker at the nearby U-Stop says fires happen often in the area.

“There’s always something going on under the bridge,” Kevin Winns said. “But I didn’t know exactly what it was, but someone came to me and said that there was an explosion.”

Many homeless people are known to live under the bridge.

The People’s City Mission is just blocks away, but Pastor Tom Barber said people don’t want to live by the shelter’s rules, like the ban on drugs and alcohol.

“I just feel like there’s no place for them to go,” Wines said. “They have the mission, but if they can’t get in there, they just have to come out here, and it sucks.”

Also under that bridge is a popular bike trail, where one biker says he sees the encampment on a daily basis and has never had a problem.

“I’ve never had an issue riding through here,” Rob Finnegan said. “They’re friendly, they wave, say hi.”

He added that although he’s seen some questionable activity here, he believes the problem is a lack of resources.