Mailbox mysteriously explodes in NC mountain town — and now police have a theory why

A mailbox exploded outside a North Carolina home, sparking a mystery in a mountain tourist destination, officials said.

Nancy McDaniel said she was in a pool when the blast left her mailbox in pieces at her West Asheville home on Tuesday, July 12, according to WLOS.

Now, the Asheville Police Department is investigating the explosion.

So far, officers think they might have found a cause.

“It appears someone placed a commercially-available firework into the metal mailbox, causing the fireworks explosion,” the department told McClatchy News in an email. “The mailbox was completely damaged, but fortunately, no one was hurt.”

Still, police aren’t sure why the firework might have been put in the mailbox. A day after the incident, officials said they had no suspects and were investigating whether the detonation was a “prank or something more sinister.”

Officers and the police department’s hazardous device team reported the incident at about 6:30 p.m. In all, the explosion caused about $100 in damage outside the home on Pearson Bridge Road, northwest of downtown Asheville.

“I’m just glad nobody driving by was hurt,” Jean Boyer, who heard the blast, told WLOS.

A Facebook user believed to be McDaniel didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on July 13.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 828-252-1110 or send the message “TIP2APD” to 847411.

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