Bomb squad destroys dynamite, 82 mortars in largest demolition in 11 years
Published at | Updated at
FREMONT COUNTY — The Region 7 Bomb Squad responded to its largest demolition in 11 years last week after a woman turned in fireworks and explosive material.
The woman had several boxes of old fireworks with several 2- to 5-inch mortars, Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries said. She walked into a Fremont County fire station on Thursday with the items and other potentially dangerous material.
“The fireworks were still in the original packaging and were probably pretty safe,” Humphries told EastIdahoNews.com on Monday. “She also had three to four buckets of stuff they make the fireworks out of — material like black powder and all kinds of other things.”
The bomb squad was called and ended up destroying 82 mortars and three-quarters of a case of dynamite in a secure location.
Before the woman’s husband died, he made fireworks, and she found the material while cleaning up, Humphries says.
Idaho Falls Police Sgt. John Marley noted the collaborative effort with the Idaho Falls Fire Department, whose firefighters put out a fire caused by the demolition.
The demolition was conducted with no safety issues and no one was harmed.