Friday, July 3, 2009

Rupert House's legacy almost goes boom

Dynamite found in former miner’s garage

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By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

The Twin Falls Bomb Squad arrived in East Fork on Wednesday to dispose of corroded sticks of dynamite and over 200 blasting caps, discovered in the garage of former miner and Blaine County Commissioner Rupert House, who passed away last December. Photo by Della Sentilles

The Twin Falls Bomb Squad, now almost regular visitors to the Wood River Valley, were summoned to East Fork on Wednesday after a bit of spring cleaning turned up surprising discovery.

Along with a string of witty and wise quotes during his years as a Blaine County Commissioner, former miner Rupert House, who passed away last winter, also left a few remnants of his past profession.

While cleaning his residence on Tuesday evening, House's relatives uncovered 13 sticks of dynamite, over 200 blasting caps and a spool of detonation wire in the garage.

Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling said that his officers stayed on the scene overnight as a precaution, waiting for the bomb squad, which arrived on Wednesday just before noon.

According to Femling, the bomb squad destroyed the corroded dynamite by soaking it in diesel and burning it, then detonated the blasting caps underground.

In addition to the bomb squad and sheriff's office, the Ketchum Fire Department responded to the scene to assist with five firefighters, an ambulance and a fire engine.

Ketchum Assistant Fire Chief Robbie Englehart said that the scene was clear at 3:39 p.m.

This was the second time in one month that bomb squad has made the trip from Twin Falls to the Wood River Valley.

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On June 2, the bomb squad responded to a report of possible pipe bomb on the White Clouds Golf Course in Sun Valley that turned out to be a plastic cylinder containing a metal rod and wire.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com