Detonating the Pipe Bomb
Members of the explosive ordnance disposal team from Malmstrom Air Force Base prepare to detonate a pipe bomb found last week in the Swede Mountain area.
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Bomb found at Swede Mountain
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
September 2, 2008
An unexploded pipe bomb found by a tree-thinning crew in the Swede Mountain area was destroyed last week by an ordnance disposal team called in from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls.
The bomb was discovered on Sunday, Aug. 24, about a half-mile up Williams Creek Road, said Detective Lt. Jim Sweet of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
"It looked like it had been lit and thrown over the embankment," Sweet said. "It didn’t go off."
Judging by the weathering, the bomb had been there for some time, Sweet said. The bomb was about 8 inches long and could easily have killed someone in the vicinity if had exploded, he said.
"This was lying out in open ground on Forest Service property," Sweet said. "Anybody could have come across it, and it’s of lethal power."
After the bomb was found, the area was cordoned off by the Forest Service with security personnel standing guard until the Air Force team arrived on Monday. Two members of the ordnance disposal unit from Malmstrom used 2½ pounds of plastic explosive to destroy the pipe bomb at the scene that afternoon, Sweet said.
Anyone with information regarding the origins of the pipe bomb is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 406-293-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous, and rewards are offered for information leading to arrest and conviction.
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Editor’s Note: See the September 1, 2008 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Monday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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