June 28
Williston, Vt. - The explosion at Demag Riggers and Cranes in Williston that killed a worker was caused by powerful fireworks stored in a safe, police said.
A. Boisvert, 20, was using a cutting torch Tuesday to open the industrial safe when it exploded.
Williston Police Chief James Dimmick said he was able to trace the events leading to the blast. The trail started more than a decade ago.
The safe had been in an abandoned shed in Winooski since at least the mid-1990s. The safe was locked, the owner of the safe didn't know the combination and didn't know what was in it.
A man used the safe 10 to 15 years ago and stored M80s in it, Dimmick said. The man left the explosives in the safe when he moved.
The owner of the property was doing renovations and wanted to get rid of the safe. Demag often moves safes, gains access to them and refurbishes or disposes of them. This particular safe was big, about 3-by-6-feet.
Boisvert cut into the safe to gain access to it, unaware there were explosives inside. Sparks from the torch ignited the M80s, the safe exploded and he was killed instantly.
Police are investigating the incident, but are treating it as an industrial accident. go