By Jon Johnson
CLIFTON — Authorities safely resolved a potentially dangerous situation near Clifton after discovering old, unstable dynamite inside an unused refrigerator on the Subia Ranch.
The Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the property on Tuesday after ranch owners reported finding the long-forgotten commercial explosives, which had remained hidden for decades. Recognizing the immediate risk, local authorities called in the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Bomb Squad to assess and handle the situation.
Sheriff Eric Ellison addressed the community regarding the joint operation:
“Today we are with Arizona DPS on the Subia Ranch near Clifton, and we have discovered a large amount of dynamite in an old refrigerator. And we brought the bomb squad in, and he’s going to explain what we’re going to do here today.”
Because of the dynamite’s age and instability, technicians determined it could not be safely moved or transported. DPS Bomb Squad member Tony Vasquez, a 20-year veteran of the unit, explained that such discoveries are surprisingly common across the state due to Arizona’s extensive history of mining, homesteading, and commercial blasting.
“Within Arizona, there’s been a lot of commercial blasting,” Vasquez said. “Amateur blasters… owned explosives. Well, as family members pass away, sometimes these things are passed down to the younger generations. They don’t know what to do with it, and they have us come out and mitigate it so that it’s safe and it’s no longer a hazard to the public.”
Vasquez noted that prior to strict regulations, dynamite could easily be purchased over the counter at local hardware stores during the 1960s and 1970s. Over time, however, stored dynamite degrades, weeping nitroglycerin and becoming extremely sensitive to physical movement or temperature changes.
“Obviously, when we deal with things like dynamite, they have a tendency to deteriorate over time, and as a result, they can become more sensitive and more dangerous,” Vasquez added. “The last thing we want is somebody handling it, not knowing what it is, and obviously potentially losing their life as a result.”
The DPS Bomb Squad successfully performed a controlled detonation of the explosives on-site without incident, eliminating any further threat to the public or property owners.
Sheriff Ellison reassured residents of the department’s commitment to public safety following the successful detonation:
“All right. Again, Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office is keeping you informed and keeping you safe. Have a great day.”
