The explosion at Williston Police Chief James Dimmick said he was able to trace the events leading to the blast. The trail started more than a decade ago. The safe had been in an abandoned shed in Winooski since at least the mid-1990s. The safe was locked, the owner of the safe didn't know the combination and didn't know what was in it, Dimmick said.
A man used the safe 10 to 15 years ago and stored M80s in it, Dimmick said. The man, who now lives in North Carolina, left the explosives in the safe when he moved, Dimmick said. The owner of the Winooski property was doing renovations and wanted to get rid of the safe. Demag often moves safes, gains access to them and refurbishes or disposes of them, Dimmick said. This particular safe was big, about 3-by-6-feet. Boisvert cut into the safe to gain access to it, unaware there were explosives inside. Sparks from the torch ignited the M80s, the safe exploded and Boisvert was killed instantly. "The man was just doing his job. It was a tragic set of circumstances," Dimmick said.
Police are investigating the incident, but are treating it as an industrial accident. Once the investigation is finished, Dimmick said he'll turn over results of his department's work to the Chittenden County State's Attorney's Office. The prosecutor will decide whether criminal charges are warranted, Dimmick said.