Getting the bomb out of the pasture

“The device was an aluminum cannister with a fuse. I have not had a chance to X-ray it yet but typically these devices are filled with black powder or smokeless powder,” he explained. A county resident called after finding it in her pasture. It’s unknown who placed it, or how long ago. Ferrer hasn’t heard of any threats and doesn’t believe the landowner was targeted.

For most basic explosives like this, troopers use a remote cutting device to cut open metal from a safe distance, and separate explosive from any fuse or blasting cap. “We are then able to burn or dispose of the gunpowder when the device has been vented. Most types of gunpowder burn slowly when out in the open but when it is contained it will explode,” Ferrer wrote. Troopers’ vehicles have storage boxes for safely taking explosives to a demolition range for disposal. With some, Ferrer might also need a robot or other tool to make an explosive safe if he can’t transport it, but this simple one, he felt safe to move.

He estimates OSP recovers a few dozen devices each year, from basic, to more complicated ones designed to injure, to commercial explosives that need to be made safe, to old dynamite, blasting caps, even military ordinance found in deceased family members’ things.