FAIRBANKS — Law enforcement agencies have said no more about an explosion that shook a Chena Ridge neighborhood Saturday afternoon and left blackened trees next to a private shooting range.

The property on which the blast occurred is owned by Fairbanks dentist Craig O’Donoghue, according to borough records. The blast site on O’Donoghue’s property is adjacent to a private firing range visible from a neighborhood road.

Several residents, including those whose homes were damaged by the blast’s shockwave, said O’Donoghue’s firing range has been the source of gunfire and explosions in the past.

The blast site, visible from Chena Rose Court off of Gateway Drive, is on one of three adjoining parcels owned by O’Donoghue. A crater approximately 10 feet in diameter is visible. Nearby trees are blackened to a height of at least 10 feet.

Telephone calls to O’Donoghue’s home requesting comment were not answered. His office was not open Monday but a voicemail message was left for him.

O’Donoghue’s neighbor, Cody Crane of Hans Way, said his first thought after the explosion was that a jet airplane had crashed nearby.

“We were standing right here and we hit the deck,” he said.

He said his garage door was blown in about two inches, a gable vent was blown out and several soffits were blown out from the blast.

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks recorded the explosion as a small earthquake at 4:10 p.m. Saturday. On a scale used to measure small local activity, it registered a 0.19 magnitude.

“We saw the sound wave much more than the seismic signal,” seismic analyst Sara Meyer said.

Federal and state law enforcement agencies, including Alaska State Troopers, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, are investigating the blast.

Any of you experts care to speculate about what caused this blast and crater? The locals are perplexed.

Somebody sprung for a whole pallet of Tannerite, I bet.

-AaronB

they would.

Something blew up!

My first thought was Tannerite. My second thought was that the Tannerite was contained.

I have heard a rumor to the effect that Tannerite or other explosives will get exponentially mo' bigga with containment of some sort like, oh, a fire extinguisher tank for instance. I have also heard that even wrapping a bundle of the stuff real tight in gorrila tape will make a loud bang and lift earth. Such antics deserve a stern rebuke and official admonishment. Yes they do.

I had to giggle at the description of the blast effected area.

I do miss Fairbanks sometimes.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

A simple bag of fertilizer can get pretty spectacular too. Or so we learned at the Benning School For Boys many moons ago.

I was out at Eielson at a middle school wrestling tournament. I had no idea something make a loud bang until the next day. My house is only a couple miles away from this spot as the crow flies. I would've been with those saying "What was that!?!" if I'd been out working in the yard.

Office had a guy nicknamed Boomer. He was playing with some damp dynamite and set it off at their field camp on July 4th next to the mess hall. He blew down the wall just as somebody was putting dishes in the sink along that wall. Had a lot more effect than he anticipated. Rumor has it that he also fished with dynamite.

Makes perfect sense now.

a tan and blondish hair who displays/sells Class III firearms at the gun shows? I would expect him to keep a lower profile than this. He griped on the radio about how Schaeffer Cox brought Fairbanks under closer scrutiny from the BATFE with his militia talk. Its hard to go unnoticed when you're blowing up 300 lbs of explosives on a hillside within view of downtown at 4 in the afternoon.

Twitchy dude. His day job is a Chiropractor.