Investigators Pinpoint Kettle as Blast Origin in Tennessee Explosives Tragedy; Lab Analysis Continues Search to Identify Ignition Source
Update: 2025-10-27
Description
A production kettle on the lower floor of Building 602 was the ignition point for the catastrophic explosion that killed 16 workers at Accurate Energetic Systems’ McEwen facility on October 10, federal investigators announced in a Friday press conference. The blast, which registered as a 1.6-magnitude seismic event and was felt up to 20 miles away, originated around 7:48 a.m. in one of several large mixing vessels used to blend and heat high-explosive compounds, including precursors for TNT and RDX (cyclonite), according to details revealed Friday during a joint press briefing at the facility’s Gate 1 in McEwen. That initial detonation — estimated to involve 24,000 to 28,000 pounds of material — triggered a chain reaction, leveling the 15,000-square-foot structure and scattering debris across half a square mile, investigators said. “The building contained a mezzanine level with six melting kettles, and the main floor contained at least three production kettles,” explained Brice McCracken, special agent in charge with the ATF’s National Center for Explosives Training and Research. The press conference was also attended by Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis, Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft, ATF Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch. A…
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