THE TAKEAWAY
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.
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.
VANDALS CARVE THEIR NAMES ONTO PREHISTORIC ROCK PAINTINGS IN UTAH, PROMPTING OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION
The Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad successfully neutralized the dynamite despite challenging conditions, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
The discovery adds an explosive twist in a county with a rich mining past.
FROM CALM TO CHAOS: SNEAKER WAVES TURN BEACH VISITS INTO LIFE-OR-DEATH STRUGGLES IN SECONDS
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.
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.
The post Explosive discovery reveals four cases of historic dynamite buried in Washington backcountry appeared first on Fox Weather
