WA man finds homemade explosive in his house

Port of Seattle bomb squad disassembles explosive found in man's house

The Port of Seattle Bomb Squad was called in to help earlier in the week after a man found a homemade explosive device at his house.

SEATTLE - The Port of Seattle Bomb Squad was called in to help earlier in the week after a man found a homemade explosive device at his house.

It could have easily caused serious injury and when it was detonated by the bomb squad, the results were explosive.

"It’s definitely going to probably take off your hand and part of your arm," said Sgt. Jason Coke with Port of Seattle Police bomb squad.

The powerful homemade explosive was found by a man when he returned to his home.

"He returned and wasn’t sure how it got there, but didn’t want to get in any kind of trouble and thought it posed a hazard, so he took it to the police department," said Sgt. Coke.

The object looked like an oversized firework. It was made out of a cardboard cylinder and stuffed with highly explosive powder.

"It’s a dangerous object even though it’s pretty small," said Coke. "[It] can definitely be lethal in close proximity to your face or your chest."

Kent Police called in the Port of Seattle Bomb Squad to help. The team used a special custom tool, made out of a cable cutter, to slice it open.

"This is an early example of the King County Cutter," said Coke.

"We are able to put hazardous devices in the gripper and then use the pulley system to pull it closed and cut the items while we are at a safe distance," said Coke.

After spilling the powder, the team used a rope to drag a lit flare over the powder, in order to set it off from a safe distance away.

"It was very energetic powder, according to the bomb technicians on scene when it did go off," said Coke.

The bomb squad handles around 50 calls every year for homemade explosives.

"These are all inert examples of what we come across in the Pacific Northwest," said Coke, pointing to a number of inactive training devices.

‘Crickets,’ made out of tiny CO2 canisters, are very common.

"This is a homemade explosive device that can cause significant injuries," said Coke.

Pipe bombs and replica grenades, filled with explosives at home, are also frequently found.

Coke says ‘sparkler bombs,’ which are made up of a group of sparklers taped together, are also sometimes found in the Pacific Northwest. He says they are also dangerous.

Although the device found earlier this week was transported to someone for disposal by the man who found it, that is not advised.

"All explosive hazards are susceptible to heat, shock and friction," said Coke.

As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, Coke says if you find something suspicious, practice safety first.

"If somebody comes across something they think is an explosive hazard, call your local police department and don’t handle it," said Coke.