Thought this would be a good "Don't cut into containers when you don't know whats in them" reminder...

There is an article about a man who was hired to cut into an old safe, the owner didn't know what was in it. It turned out to be full of M80s, which didn't react well to the cutting torch..

Burlington Free Press.com | Local/Vermont

Thanks for the timely reminder.
I most likely would have tried to open the safe just for the challenge of it.
I would not try something like that now after reading about the events as reported!
Be safe!
Old Rusty Ted

I have been called upon many times in the past by safe crackers (ligitamate ones) to help open safes for business's that the combination wore out or failed. For the most part just following the directions of the professional called in to repair the safe. Never really cut clear thru into one.

BUT,

I was called out to cut off a pipe embedded in a concrete slab to support a basketball goal by a representative of a bank that was selling the property.

The pipe, 4 inch had the top open and thru the years had filled partially full of rain water. I started my cut close to the concrete and water gushed out, so I made 3 more holes to drain the water and proceeded to finish cutting the post completely off. The Banker who was steadying the pole so it wouldn't fall on me when the cut was finished took off like he had a panther chasing him when the explosions started. I stopped cutting and stepped back, the Banker was observing from half a block away. There was not a big explosion, just many loud bangs over a period of several minutes. Then it started raining small bits of paper and whole cherry bombs. I finished the process and pushed over the post, and it was full of bits of paper and whole cherry bombs.

The former owners children must have used a ladder and dropped lit cherry bombs down the pipe for amusement. The water inside extinguished them, but they must have persisted and maybe done the same thing over a number of years as there were over 150 of the unexploded cherry bombs laying around the area afterward. It was rather exciting for me to say the least. But I think the banker needed a change of clothes. After the pipe was laying on the ground, the banker called from half a block away and asked if it was safe. He really didn't appreciate my hysterical laughter at all.

Hah, sounds pretty crazy Irnsrgn. I can't imagine wondering what the xxxx was happening. It seems like you would think a simple pipe would be safe enough..

Old safes often had a tear gas bomb inside the door to discourage evil-doers. Usually a glass tube.