Woman seriously hurt by illegal improvised explosive, not firework

Published 1:30 am Saturday, November 19, 2016

LAKEWOOD — Police have learned more about an explosion near Lake Goodwin last week that seriously injured a woman.

The woman apparently lit the fuse on an illegal improvised explosive that had been fashioned from gunpowder and a tennis ball, said Shari Ireton, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The woman lost her left hand and multiple fingers on her right hand, among other injuries, Ireton said.

The incident was reported about 3:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at an abandoned home along 62nd Avenue NW. People were seen fleeing from the property before deputies arrived. Investigators initially thought the explosion was from fireworks. Some of the witnesses were not forthcoming, Ireton said.

The woman, who was hospitalized, was described as being in her 30s and having an Arlington address. No other information was provided.