The Unified Fire Authority’s bomb squad was called to Grantsville City Tuesday evening after a homeowner discovered old dynamite while cleaning out a shed.
The Grantsville City fire and police departments responded to a call at 5 p.m. at a home on Park Street between Vine and Durfee streets after three sticks of dynamite were discovered in the back of the shed.
The homeowner left the dynamite alone and called Tooele County Dispatch, which is exactly the action they should have taken, according to Grantsville City Police Officer Alison Peterson.
“Protocol was followed and it turned out well,” she said.
A perimeter was set up around the home, blocking off the street and evacuating the house where the dynamite was found and other nearby homes, according to Peterson. The age of the dynamite meant it could be very unstable and the evacuation was a safety precaution, she said.
The bomb squad was able to retrieve the sticks of dynamite and safely dispose of them using a controlled burn, Peterson said. Unified Fire Authority and Grantsville City firefighters were on hand to ensure the fire, which lasted about a half hour, remained under control.
Once the dynamite was safely disposed of, residents in the evacuation zone were able to return home, Peterson said.
The actions of the homeowner should be commended, Peterson said. If anyone discovers unknown dynamite or other explosives within their home, they should call 911 or Tooele County Dispatch at 435-882-5600 to ensure it is safely and properly disposed of.
Dynamite in its industrial scale was created by Alfred Nobel, after he discovered a paste could be formed between the highly reactive nitroglycerine and kiselguhr, a soft earthen material, according to the Alfred Nobel Memorial Foundation. The new material, called dynamite, could be shaped into rods for using in mining and fitted with a blasting cap to control detonations.