[1]Courtesy photo by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Washington State Patrol was to remove a crate of dynamite this morning discovered partially buried in the woods on a man’s property southwest of Ethel.
The man called the sheriff’s office last night after taking eight “bricks” home with him, of approximately 300 yellow bricks in a box marked U.S. Military, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown suggested it could have been part of a large supply of explosives hidden around the nearby farm of a 56-year-old man who was killed by an explosion in December of 1998.
The man worked in the explosives industry and was known to use dynamite to blow up stumps on his property on the 200 block of Classe Road, Brown stated in a news release.
“It was believed at the time of his death, he had placed the dynamite in the back of his tractor-trailer, and was traversing his property when the dynamite exploded,” Brown stated.
At the time, authorities searched for and disposed of several boxes of dynamite, but there was concern there could be more hidden, according to Brown.
Last night, a bomb technician responded to the 100 block of Spotted Doe Lane examine the new find and concluded the explosives were stable, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Steve Mansfield in the news release indicated the outcome of this incident could have turned out bad, and served as a reminder for folks not to touch or transport items they find and suspect are explosives, but to instead call 911 immediately.