Nov. 01--VIRGINIA BEACH -- Firefighters and members of the city bomb squad used fire to destroy five sticks of 30-year-old dynamite that was found in the trunk of an abandoned vehicle in the 800 block of Deary Lane today.
The homeowner had used dynamite in a previous occupation for land clearing, a Virginia Beach Fire Department news release said. He had long since retired and forgotten that he had stored the dynamite in the abandoned vehicle in his backyard. The homeowner called the Fire Department today about 11 a.m. when he found it and no charges are expected to be filed.
The dynamite had become waterlogged over the years, the Fire Department said in the news release, and had lost its original potency. As a precaution, the bomb squad decided to burn the dynamite at its current location rather than try to transport it.
A small fire destroyed the dynamite and the scene has been deemed safe. Crews cleared the scene about 4 p.m.
The neighborhood was not in danger while the dynamite was burning, the news release said.
