Myrtle Creek Road closed after dynamite found

April 10, 2017

The road washout on Myrtle Creek Road that unearthed two long-buried cases of dynamite Sunday.

UPDATED 4:17 p.m.: The public is urged to stay away from Forest Service Road #633 (Myrtle Creek Road) on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District, where two cases of dynamite were discovered April 9. The cases were found in a section of road that had been washed out. The dynamite appeared to have been buried for some time. The Spokane Bomb Squad is on scene assessing the situation with assistance from Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers, Boundary County Sheriff’s Office, and the Boundary County Office of Emergency Management. This area is expected to remain closed to the public for the next 72 hours. The Spokane Bomb Squad successfully cleared the dynamite Monday afternoon. Myrtle Creek Road remains closed to the public at this time because of a soft and unstable roadbed. Myrtle Creek Road has a history of recurring washouts and unstable roadbed. The lower portion of the Myrtle Creek drainage is the municipal watershed and the primary source of drinking water for the City of Bonners Ferry. Please contact Shoshana Cooper, Idaho Panhandle National Forests’ Public Affairs Officer, at (208)765-7211 with any questions.