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Bunker expert says Keller's hideout not built to withstand

BY Alyssa Kleven  on April 30, 2012 @ 5:06 pm (Updated: 8:20 am - 5/1/12 )

cedargrove
Steel beams help reinforce a bunker roof. The kits at American Safe House are made to withstand up to 24,000 pounds of pressure per square foot, according to Len Henrikson. (Image courtesy AmericanSafeHouse.com)

Peter Keller spent eight years building his fortified bunker in the woods along Rattlesnake Ridge. It was complex, and given how far off the trail, and away from civilization it was, police acknowledge it was impressive.

But, if bunkers are what you do for a living, like Len Henrikson with American Safe Room, you see the problems just from a few photos.

"The structural integrity isn't something that I'd recommend for anyone," Henrikson told 770 KTTH The Truth's David Boze.

Henrikson called Keller's bunker an expedient or "Spider- Man" bunker.

"The critical part of a bunker is the roof," described Henrikson. "His bunker worked to hold the dirt up, but it didn't do much more than that."

American Safe House sells bunker-making kits, that contain steel reinforcements. The roof of the kit-bunkers is designed to support the dirt above it, as well as a "blast load." That means that those bunkers can support up to 24,000 pounds per square foot.

The SWAT team at Keller's bunker did blast through his roof.

Henrikson also noted that Keller's intention for the bunker appear to be much more sinister than the average American Safe House customer. "Ninety-nine percent of the people we deal with aren't crazy - this guy was whacked." Most customers, he said, purchase and build a bunker for one of three reasons: Radiation protection, blast protection or invasion protection.

Read more:
The mantracker who found a murder suspect's bunker
Police find body of murder suspect inside fortified bunker

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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Comments (10)


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  • Drool wrote...
    "Ninety-nine percent of the we deal with aren't crazy"
    April 30, 2012 5:55 pm
    And then: Most customers, he said, purchase and build a bunker for one of three reasons: Radiation protection, blast protection or invasion protection.

    Uhh, I think that may be a little crazy in itself.

    There are much more dangerous things around that ore more likely to kill a person. I'm more worried about a drunk driver than Red Dawn.

    What I saw about his bunker was something that was just going to decompose and become one with the mountain once again. Anybody that lives out in that area (and I do) knows how damp it is much of the year. You could see in one of the photos white fungus growing on some of the timbers he used inside. I am willing to bet after 8 years some serious rot had already got going on his primary structure. This bunker was more of a temporary structure much like is used in a tactical sense (think VC).

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  • JMGilday wrote...
    well said
    April 30, 2012 8:48 pm
    but then again, this guy's deck wasn't exactly holding all 52 cards
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    When Owebama & the Dimocrats finally succeed and ruin this country and anarchy prevails
    May 1, 2012 7:56 am
    maybe we'll all wish we had one.
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  • Nervoso wrote...
    Fortunately, "Owebama" or any president for that matter
    May 1, 2012 11:59 am
    can only be in office for 8 years, not entirely enough time to completely destroy the nation, as we saw with Bush. As a family, and combined terms, the Bush's came awfully close, though.
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  • MK wrote...
    An Underground Cabin
    May 1, 2012 10:05 am
    I don't understand why this bunker expert says Keller's place of hiding was a failure. Just because the SWAT team was able to blow the top off? Maybe that isn't what Keller built it for. I think he built a place to hide from society, not a fortress to withstand a military attack. If it was a place to live without being noticed, Keller probably did a fine job of building an underground cabin.
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Thanks for telling the survivalists where to shop Boze
    May 1, 2012 1:46 pm
    Now why don't you tell this nut jobs where they can get the best deals on ammo and explosives.Do you want to give these sociopaths better bunkers so they can kill more law enforcement officers,and hold off armed assaults?
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  • tbookout17 wrote...
    come on messiah
    May 1, 2012 2:34 pm
    You will find something to whine about in every article on this site, literally. At least any of the ones you comment on. Go ask your mom if dinner's ready yet. I bet you would complain if you were going to be hung with a used rope (probably not a bad idea). I bet mom's basement is similar to to the bunker, huh?
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    tbookout17
    May 1, 2012 5:46 pm
    So you want stronger bunkers for survivalists also,may I ask why?
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  • Forrest wrote...
    Henrikson and Boze
    May 1, 2012 3:48 pm
    Are in all likelihood, a couple of RWNJ in their own right. Boze is probably giving his buddy free advertising in the guise of a news story. They probably are 'Bunker Buddies" and use each other's bunker on the weekend, together, waiting for the rapture.
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  • Howdy wrote...
    The new boogie man
    May 1, 2012 6:42 pm
    Anyone who stores more than a weeks worth of food and makes preparations to protect their family in case something bad happens. Also known as the "gun totin' survivalist" and for those who are obsessed with stereotyping they are called RWNJs.

    (Homer Simpson voice)These people just don't realize that our government will always be there to protect us and feed us and stuff.

    One question: If you bash someone for preparing for a disaster while at the same time pay for insurance, does that make you a hypocrite?

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