Possible Silver Boom-Era Blasting Cap Injures Person In Alpine County

BAGLEY VALLEY (CBS13) — A possibly more than century-old blasting cap injured a person in Alpine County last week, authorities say.

The incident happened on Thursday. The Alpine County Sheriff's Office says they were alerted by the neighboring Douglas County Sheriff's Office that day about a person who had shown up at an emergency room in Gardnerville.

Apparently, that person had picked up an explosive device somewhere in Bagley Valley. The device eventually exploded and caused the person a significant hand injury.

Deputies soon responded to the area where the person found the explosive to investigate. At the scene, several old blasting caps were discovered.

Authorities believe the blasting caps have been there for a long time - possibly dating back to the silver boom-era Alpine County experienced back in the late 1860s. Still, despite being possibly more than a century old, explosives should always be treated with extreme caution.

A bomb squad from Douglas County responded and dealt with the old blasting caps the next morning.