Hidden bunkers stocked with explosives, survivalist supplies found during Brian Head fire

A large amount of explosives and illegally built survivalist cabins were found by fire crews working to suppress the 71,000 acre Brian Head fire in June.

According to a release issued by the Iron County Sheriff’s Office Thursday, boxes of modified novelty hand grenades, explosive powder, fuses, ammunition and firearms were found in multiple survivalist style shelters illegally built on U.S. Forest Service and Utah State Institutional Trust Land (SITLA) land.

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Firefighters heard a series of “popping” sounds while working to control the blaze near Henderson Hill on June 27 — 10 days after the Brian Head fire started by a man allegedly using a weed torch to clear his property in dry conditions, the release stated.

“The firefighters first thought the 'popping' sounds were rocks exploding due to heat, but as the sound continued for approximately five minutes, firefighters realized the “popping” sound was actually ammunition exploding in the fire,” ICSO Lt. Del Schlosser wrote in the release.

After the sounds stopped, firefighters discovered a burned down cabin structure and a bunker that had been dug into the ground. The bunker contained a box of “novelty” hand grenades that had been altered by drilling-out the bottoms and plugging the drilled holes with threaded, galvanized pipe plugs. Explosive powder, fuses, ammunition and containers of food storage were also found in the bunker. The firefighters took photos and informed law enforcement.

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Fire supression efforts were then scaled back to only aerial due to the presence of the dangerous items and concerns about the safety of the fire crews.

ICSO then requested assistance from the Washington County bomb squad and the FBI’s Salt Lake City division Special Agent Bomb Technicians in disposing of the items.

The discovery of the cabin slowed firefighting efforts in the area significantly, Schlosser said.

"Because of the ammo that was located and going off, we had to stop just for the safety of the firefighters," he explained. 

On June 30, officers contacted a male in Parowan who admitted to owning the cabin, bunker and explosives. He also told investigators there were an additional seven or eight structures hidden throughout the area that he had built over a "number of years."

"He said it was a place to go when the end of the world came," Schlosser said.

Dozens of hand grenades in inert condition were found in the original bunker. Bomb technicians destroyed several hand grenades at the site and “a significant quantity” of black powder.

Investigators located each of the bunker and cabins the next day. All the structures had been built on public land managed by the USFS and SITLA. County and federal officials had to remove the items from the bunkers before dismantling them.

Two of the cabins had been destroyed in the fire. They had been constructed with concrete footings at each of the four corners as anchors for the structure. It was also outfitted with a corrugated metal roof and a metal stove and chimney.

Another cabin was located on a steep mountainside outside of the fire area on SITLA land. This cabin, which was not affected by the fire, was made of plywood and two-by-four beams secured to concrete footing, measuring approximately 4 feet wide by 8 feet long and 10 feet tall in size. Two bunk-beds, food and water storage, reading materials and a small amount of ammunition were found inside. 

The name of the Parowan man believed to be responsible for the structures has not been released at this time as the investigation is still ongoing.

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"In conversations with the USFS, the Utah State Department of Natural Resources, and SITLA, those agencies related they take very seriously the danger explosive caches pose to firefighters and the public; as well as the degradation of the public land through the unlawful construction of shelters, bunkers and storage caches," Schlosser wrote in the release. 

Schlosser said the criminal investigation has been completed and has been forwarded to the Iron County Attorney’s Office and the Utah United State’s Attorney’s Office for review. They will then determine what charges should be filed and whether potential restitution should be sought for the cost of removing the burned debris and property.

If charged, Schlosser said the suspect could be facing misdemeanor charges to felony charges for misuse of public lands. 

"Given the time frame that this has taken place — this is multiple years of preparing — and the suspect is cooperative, I don't know what will be charged," Schlosser said. 

Follow reporter Bree Burkitt on Twitter, @BreeBurkitt. Call her at 435-218-2241.