Explosive discovery reveals four cases of historic dynamite buried in Washington backcountry
The dynamite discovery posed a public safety challenge, prompting a response from the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad.
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THE TAKEAWAY
- A backcountry discovery uncovered a potentially dangerous piece of Washington’s past.
- Federal, state and local agencies worked together to safely neutralize the historic dynamite.
- Old explosives can remain dangerous long after they’ve been abandoned.
This blast from the past didn’t quite go out with a bang.
Deep in Washington’s Chelan County backcountry, a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist discovered four buried cases of dynamite believed to date to the 1930s.
Four cases of dynamite believed to date to the 1930s lie buried in Chelan County’s backcountry in Washington, where a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist discovered the explosives. (Chelan County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
It's safe to say this historical relic didn't end up in a museum.
The dynamite discovery posed a public safety challenge, prompting a response from the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad.
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The Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad successfully neutralized the dynamite despite challenging conditions, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
Historic dynamite discovered in Washington’s Chelan County backcountry prompted a response from the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad. (Chelan County Sheriff's Office)
The discovery adds an explosive twist in a county with a rich mining past.
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Gold was discovered in Chelan County’s Blewett district in 1860, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Age doesn’t mean old explosives are harmless.
Federal and state crews coordinated to safely neutralize explosives found by a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist. (Chelan County Sheriff's Office)
The National Park Service warns that deteriorating explosives can become unstable enough for even a touch or footstep to trigger a blast.
The dynamite’s origins remain a mystery, but its discovery offers a reminder that pieces of the past can still pack a dangerous punch.
Thanks to the coordinated response, this blast from the past was safely neutralized, giving an explosive discovery a quiet ending.