Update: Disposal Completed Of Explosives Discovered In Strawberry

Update at 5:12 p.m.: Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office reports that all the unstable explosive material that was discovered Tuesday at a home in Strawberry has successfully been disposed of today using bomb squads. As we reported yesterday, a family member found sticks of dynamite and blasting caps while cleaning the home on Highway 108 near Strawberry Road. Earlier this morning, sheriff’s officials relayed that several hundred pounds of additional unstable explosives were located in a locker on the property.

“Starting at about 1 p.m. this afternoon, TCSO deputies, with the assistance of the CCSO Bomb Squad, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office (SJCSO) Bomb Squad, the Tuolumne County Fire Department, and the United States Forest Service, successfully disposed of the unstable explosives by detonation, causing approximately 10 loud explosions in the Strawberry area,” detailed Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Investigator Ashley Boujikian.

Explosives that were determined to be stable were not detonated but instead taken by the bomb squads for safe disposal. Some deputies remain at the home but plan to clear the scene soon. Boujikian added that the sheriff’s office wants to thank resources that assisted in safely disposing of the volatile materials, including the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Forest Service-Stanislaus National Forest, Tuolumne County Fire, and Manteca District Ambulance. She added this warning, “Old dynamite can be very unstable; we ask the public not to handle, cover, move, or transport unwanted explosives. We are thankful this dynamite did not explode unintentionally and that no one was injured.”

Original post written by BJ Hansen at 9:45 a.m.: Sonora, CA — After locating dynamite in the dryer of a home in Strawberry on Tuesday, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office successfully disposed of it, but there is more work to carry out today.

We reported earlier that sheriff’s officials were notified of the situation when someone spotted the explosives while cleaning the house. The neighboring Calaveras Bomb Squad was called in to assist.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Investigator Ashley Boujikian, shares, “Last night CCSO Bomb Squad successfully disposed of the dynamite located in the dryer of the residence. A deputy remained on scene overnight to keep the scene secure. CCSO Bomb Squad, deputies and CAL Fire are back on scene this morning to continue their plan to remove several hundred pounds of additional unstable explosives located in a locker on the property. The plan involves detonating the explosives to safely dispose of them, which will cause several loud explosions in the Strawberry area.”

The sheriff’s office notes that old dynamite can be very unstable and officials are very thankful they were notified and it did not unintentionally explode.