(Englewood) A mystery on the beach in Charlotte County Monday afternoon: Officials say a metal cylinder washed ashore in Englewood, near Wilhelm Drive around 1:00 P.M. Crews spent this afternoon trying to figure out what exactly it was.

Two girls discovered a metal gray canister while boogie boarding. It had U.S. Navy markings on it, and three holes in one end. They pulled it up on the sand, and that's when they say it began sending up small puffs of black smoke, and even caught fire for a time. The girls then called 911.

Emergency crews from Charlotte County responded, as did the Bomb Squad from Ft. Myers and Navy personnel from MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa.

It turns out, the canister was a U.S. Navy phosphorous marker, often used in search and rescue missions.

This isn't the first time a marker has washed up on a Florida Beach, and there's no word how many may be out there. They can cause severe burns if handled. Emergency personnel are sending out a safety warning to anyone who may come across an unidentified object on our shores. Do not touch it, and call 911 immediately.