Mysterious box of dynamite triggers evacuation in Knoxville

[Otherbrother]

@Mister44

I thought dynamite was stable and could be handled by hand safely, though certainly the heat from a torch could have set it off, especially if it lit a fuse?

Per Wikipedia that’s true for “fresh” dynamite but it gets more hazardous as it ages and “sweats” nitroglycerin.

The maximum shelf life of nitroglycerin-based dynamite is recommended as one year from the date of manufacture under good storage conditions.[7]

Over time, regardless of the sorbent used, sticks of dynamite will “weep” or “sweat” nitroglycerin, which can then pool in the bottom of the box or storage area. For that reason, explosive manuals recommend the regular up-ending of boxes of dynamite in storage. Crystals will form on the outside of the sticks, causing them to be even more sensitive to shock, friction, and temperature. Therefore, while the risk of an explosion without the use of a blasting cap is minimal for fresh dynamite, old dynamite is dangerous.