Bomb squad disposes of decades-old dynamite found in Barnardsville barn
The Asheville Police Department Bomb Squad detonated decaying dynamite that was found in a barn in Barnardsville
By Taylor Thompson
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BARNARDSVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — The Asheville Police Department Bomb Squad responded to the Barnardsville community late Saturday evening after a call about what looked like decaying dynamite.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office called the bomb squad after someone cleaning out a barn found what was believed to be explosives, squad commander Capt. Joe Silberman said.
Silberman said the bomb squad confirmed the suspicious materials to be nitroglycerin dynamite.
“As it decays, that nitroglycerin will leak out, and there will be salts that form crystals. And the nitroglycerin will leak out in the form of an oil, and then it becomes dangerous,” he said.
It was good the dynamite was found, Silberman said, because, the longer it sits, the more dangerous it becomes. And that dynamite had probably been in the barn for more than 50 years.
Silberman said any sharp impact or drop could have caused it to explode because the way it was contained didn’t allow it to breathe.
Because Western North Carolina has many rural areas, it’s not uncommon to get these kinds of calls, Silberman said.
“There are ways to legitimately purchase dynamite,” he said. “And a lot of what we deal with is old commercial explosives that were legally purchased.”
Silberman said the majority of calls are about explosives that were legally purchased with the intention of being used for such jobs as removing tree stumps and getting rid of rocks but the owners didn’t have a disposal plan for leftover dynamite.
He said the squad deals with one to two calls a month and it isn’t unusual for officers to have to get rid of even a case of dynamite.
“In the past 10 years I’ve been on the bomb squad, we’ve gotten rid of hundreds, well over a thousand pounds of explosives,” Silberman said.
He said, when officers arrived at the scene Saturday evening, it was already dark, and they didn’t feel comfortable working on a disposal plan when they couldn’t fully see the terrain or know where all the neighbors were. So, the squad waited until it was light out to dispose of the dynamite.
Silberman said the idea of putting out explosives can be an interesting problem-solving challenge. Bomb technicians are selected for their ability to solve puzzles and lateral thinking skills, he said.
“We all go through basic and then advanced training, but nothing quite prepares you for every single situation,” Silberman said.
He said the bomb squad normally responds to calls involving some kind of war relic or old commercial explosive. He said it’s rare for the squad to respond to a call that involves criminal intent.
Detective Jason Hunter said the squad’s primary goal is to ensure that nobody is injured when the dynamite is detonated, including the public and the team.
The squad uses a bomb robot to handle the explosives.
“A robot is replaceable. One of the bomb technicians is not,” Hunter said.
Nick Daily, who lives near where the explosion happened, said he didn’t know where the blast came from, he just heard a loud boom. He didn’t find out until later that it was a planned explosion to blow the dynamite.
“I don’t think I’d ever seen dynamite be blown up. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen dynamite in person,” Daily said.
Silberman said anyone who comes across potential explosives should not handle them but contact local law enforcement immediately.
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