Pennsylvania officials warn against dangerous illegal explosive devices before Fourth of July

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Pennsylvania officials are warning the public about the dangers of illegal explosive devices ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Philadelphia Division encourages members of the public to report the manufacture and sale of illegal explosives to protect their communities.

Since 2020, Pennsylvania has accounted for nearly 20 percent of all ATF illegal explosive device investigations nationwide, the division says.

It is illegal under federal law to manufacture, store, distribute, receive or transport explosive materials without a federal explosives license or permit, the division says. Violators can face up to 10 years in federal prison.

“They are dangerous explosives, not playthings for amusement,” said Eric DeGree, special agent in charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Just handling these devices puts you and anyone else around at risk of serious injury or death.”

“They’ll blow your hand or face off,” said Tim Brooks, a certified explosive specialist bomb technician from the Philadelphia Police Department Bomb Disposal Unit assigned to the ATF Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force. “These devices are manufactured without safety oversight or quality control. The fillers inside occasionally contain small rocks that, when bumped togethe,r can cause the slightest spark and set these off.”

The division gave this advice on how to differentiate illegal explosives from consumer fireworks:

• They are sold in a non-commercial location, such as out of a vehicle or residence.
• The person with the device has no evidence of a receipt or commercial packaging, or they cannot tell you where they originally purchased it.
• The device is often 1-6 inches long and up to an inch or more in diameter.
• The casing resembles a roll of coins with a fuse. Some outer shells are made of cardboard tubes.
• The outer covering is red, silver, or brown in color.
• The device looks oddly shaped and wrapped in brown paper that may be filled with an explosive material.

Anyone who has or believes they have illegal explosives is told to act with extreme caution and contact their local police or fire departments. They can contact 911 or the ATF at 888-ATF-BOMB (283-2662), 888-ATF-TIPS (283-8477), ATFTips@atf.gov, http://atf.gov/atf-tips or via the ReportIt app.

More information on illegal explosives can be found at https://www.atf.gov/explosives/illegal-explosives.

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