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Sam Penrod reportingA potentially dangerous situation in Sevier County is finally over tonight. Explosives technicians blew up old dynamite and blasting caps found in the home of an elderly man.
Tonight's explosion came after the bomb squad spent more than a day stabilizing and moving the explosives. The situation caught everyone in the small town of Joseph off guard.
The man was a miner, so no one here was surprised he had the decades old explosives. What is a surprise: How much he had. But tonight, it is all gone, as bomb technicians blew it up.
A caravan of bomb trucks carried away a large collection of blasting caps and dynamite. They buried the explosives in a remote area outside of Joseph, before intentionally detonating them.
Even under controlled circumstances, it was a powerful blast. That's why authorities say had the explosives gone off unexpectedly; it could have been a disaster.
Capt. Gary Reid, Sevier County Sheriff's Office: "Thousands of blasting caps in the home itself, plus what was in the two out building. It probably would have leveled some houses, especially those within a thousand foot perimeter the bomb squad had cleared "
The elderly gentlemen who had lived in the home for years, recently moved into a nursing home.
His is nephew found the explosives as he was cleaning the property. The 81-year-old man had apparently kept the stockpile of explosives, even though his mining days were over.
Ray Owens, Mayor of Joseph: "The quantities are what surprised us, that he had so much there. Apparently he has more at his mine up the canyon here."
Of particular concern was this metal barrel, which was found to be full of blasting caps, which had deteriorated.
That's why police are pleading to anyone with old explosives, to call and ask for help in removing them.
Capt. Gary Reid, Sevier County Sheriff's Office: "We would much rather be aware of it before there is a problem so we can deal with it, so we can call in the experts who know how to deal with it."
The Sevier County sheriff's office had help from the Utah County bomb squad, the Unified Fire Authority, Salt Lake Police, as well as the ATF.
No charges against the man are expected, because he had the explosives for mining and not building bombs.
