August 7, 2020 3:40 a.m.
August 7th is the 61st anniversary of the Roseburg Blast.
According to information provided by the Douglas County Museum and information on the City of Roseburg website, a fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. outside Gerretsen Building Supply at the corner of Oak and Pine. About ten minutes later a truck parked next to the building, containing a two-ton load of dynamite and half-ton of ammonium nitrate, exploded.
Ultimately 13 people died, and more than 125 were injured. The blast leveled eight blocks of downtown Roseburg and created a crater fifty-two feet in diameter and twelve feet deep. Three hundred businesses within a thirty-block radius were damaged by the event.
The resulting fire was not under control for nearly two hours.
Pictures from the Roseburg Blast and a link to in-depth details about the event are posted with our story at www.541radio.com