Western N.B. residents left puzzled by mystery bang that shook homes

A loud bang and accompanying shock-wave that shook homes has residents of a western New Brunswick village wondering what could have caused the Christmas Day incident.

Andrew McDougall was sitting in his living room watching television when he heard a loud bang and felt what seemed to be an object hitting his house.

"It was like a huge gunfire or a very loud thunder clap, but it was short, like it was just a bang, and then the house shook right at the same time," said McDougall, adding it happened right around 4:37 p.m. as he was waiting for Christmas dinner.

"And like I say, it just felt and sounded like something big hit the house like a car or something that would move the house, right? Because the house shook."

Sandra Hanson was in the kitchen of her home in Centreville when she heard and felt the same thing.

"I was in the kitchen working on Christmas dinner … and all of a sudden we just heard this loud sound — you could call it a boom — and it was pretty immediately followed by a very noticeable shake."

Bridgewater, Me. is about 10 km west of Centreville, located in western New Brunswick. (Google Maps)

Hanson said she went outside to investigate the noise, but couldn't find any obvious explanation.

Neither could McDougall, and so he turned to social media, and found many other residents in the area had experienced the same thing.

Theories ranged from a meteor hitting the earth, to the movement of tectonic plates causing an earthquake, to the lesser-known, lesser-understood phenomenon known as "skyquakes," McDougall said.

It's unclear whether a meteor caused the loud bang reported by residents. Neither were any earthquakes detected in the region on the day in question, said Michal Kolaj, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

Maine fire crew responded to explosion

But around the same time residents in New Brunswick reported the noise, residents across the border in Maine phoned their local emergency services to report what sounded like an explosion.

Bridgewater Fire Chief Troy Bradstreet said at about 3:30 p.m. ET, his department received calls about an explosion in the area of 616 Main St. in Bridgewater, Me.

Tannerite is a binary explosive used for target practice. It comes as two powders, which are mixed together just before use. (Tannerite)

"And upon investigation, we discovered some young gentleman in a back gravel pit target practising with Tannerite," Bradstreet said.

"I don't know what the distance would be but there were some local residents in Bridgewater also who heard the explosion and felt the shock wave."

Bradstreet said crews called the police and were advised the man "was within the parameters of the law."

No one was injured, he said.

Highly regulated in Canada, says seller

Tannerite, a brand name of binary explosive, is used by some sport shooters, said Ross Faulkner, owner of The Gun Dealer in McAdam, N.B., where the product can be purchased.

The product is made up of a package of ammonium nitrate and a separate package of aluminum powder. While each is stable on its own, once combined and shaken, the mixture can cause an explosion when shot at with a high-velocity firearm.

Ross Faulkner says products like Tannerite are highly regulated in Canada. (The Gun Dealer/Facebook)

"It's an exploding target," Faulkner said. "It would [add] a little bit of sensationalism and also can be used on private property for clearing things like beaver dams."

Faulkner said the product is highly regulated in Canada, and sellers require a magazine licence, while buyers must either have their possession access licence (PAL) or a fireworks operator certificate.

He said he's not sure how much Tannerite would have to be detonated in Bridgewater, Me., for residents in Centreville to feel a shock wave, adding he's skeptical of that theory.

"I'm not an expert, I couldn't tell you that, but certainly, I've seen some companies in our area in McAdam, as you know, there's a lot of granite rock, and they've had to clear roads and they've had to blast some rocks before.

"That would be a much, much bigger explosion than Tannerite. Much, much bigger."