BARTON  COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities located and destroyed a large amount of explosives.

Just before 5p.m. Monday, deputies were notified of the possibility of abandoned explosives in a structure approximately a mile and a half north of the City of Great Bend near US 281 highway, according to a media release.

The Sheriff and deputies responded to the scene and discovered what appeared to be a large quantity of abandoned commercial explosives. It appeared the explosives were oilfield related and had been unattended for a considerable period of time. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was notified and it was decided to allow the explosives to remain overnight.

Just before 10a.m. Tuesday, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms as well as the Wichita Police Department Bomb Squad arrived in Barton County to assist with the removal and destruction of the items.

Approximately 40 shaped charges were located in a dilapidated building as well as several hundred blasting caps and a considerable quantity of detonation cord. It was the opinion of the explosives experts the debt cord and blasting cap should be destroyed on-site.

These items were placed in the hole with an explosive charge and destroyed. The remaining shaped charges were securely transported to Sedgwick County where the bomb unit has a range capable of handling larger amounts of explosives.
It is believed the explosives were left over from a defunct oilfield logging and perforating business. The owners of that business are now deceased.