State fire marshals say more than half a million pounds of gunpowder and artillery propellant in the McClintic Wildlife Management Area was illegally stored in bunkers that the Division of Natural Resources rented out.
Fire marshals seized 14 of the bunkers after raids last week with Army bomb experts who warned some of the explosives were so unstable they could blow anytime. Four of the 6 people or companies storing explosives in the public hunting are had no state permit. A 305 acre area is closed off. The Mason County Airport was closed until today, but severe flight restrictions will still cancel it's biggest event of the year Monday. The State Fire Marshal's office is awaiting additional reports from the Army before working out a plan to remove or detonate the gunpowder.