MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A shocking discovery was made in Montgomery County as a stash of decaying fireworks was found Tuesday. The stash was so dangerous that crews had no choice but to dispose of them by setting them on fire.
According to the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office, 50 to 70 pounds of old fireworks were discovered on an overgrown property in the Porter area. It was not clear how long the fireworks had been stashed there.
Fire officials said it was serious enough for crews to evacuate neighbors from their homes as crews let the pyrotechnics burn themselves out overnight.
This all started Tuesday afternoon when a man called the Porter Fire Department to say he had discovered a shed jam-packed with potentially explosive material in a wooded area off Ferne Drive.
The county fire marshal’s office said the collapsing structure full of decaying fireworks was owned by an elderly man who passed away years ago.
Authorities said they also found several hundred pounds of chemicals used to make fireworks.
“All the materials that he had at some point in the past began to degrade to the point where it wasn't safe to handle,” Montgomery County Assistant Fire Marshal Kevin Bates said. “To give you different colors and things like that. It looks like he had a lot of different stuff. So, he was probably playing with pyrotechnics for a long time.”
The property's new owner signed off on the fire, which officials said was the only safe option.