The Guthrie County Sheriff’s office said Tuesday, it received many reports over the past several days about loud explosions or gun shots being fired. Authorities say the noises appeared to have originated in the northwest part of Guthrie Center. Late Monday night, officers were able to pin point and identify the source of the explosions.

Guthrie Center Police Chief Rod Pavelka, says Rose Acre Farms is using a device intended to keep the migratory birds away from their water treatment lagoons due to the Avian Flu spreading closer to the County. This device uses propane and fires off a burst, which is essentially a small explosion. The location of the device is high enough on the hills behind Rose Acres that the sound travels easily into town and echoes off of our many metal buildings.

Pavelka says the device will primarily be used during dawn and dusk periods  during the day. These explosions pose no danger to our citizens, but are a minor irritation from the noise. The explosions are fairly random, but are harmless.