Man Charged in Explosion Was in Prior Phoenixville Fire, Florida Blast

Cheekily referred to as the “pork chop explosion,” a blast in Lake Worth, Fla., in 2003 blew apart an art studio and destroyed a sport utility vehicle parked outside.

Artist Douglas Ferrin, then of West Palm Beach, was cooking up pork chops in the art studio. A grease fire started, and before it could be extinguished, the fire spread to at least five pounds of gunpowder Ferrin had stored in the studio, setting off a series of explosions. Bullets were also found in the studio, according to a report from The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“The earth-rocking explosions that leveled the cottage and closed Lake Worth’s business district Monday evening were the largest but not the first fireworks to go off in the narrow alley, lined with aging wood-frame homes, according to owners of neighboring businesses,” The Palm Beach Post reported. “The artist in the past had ignited what appeared to be firecrackers, they said.”

Though the article indicated charges might be filed, nothing was located in a search of Florida judicial system documents. In Florida, it’s legal to keep up to 20 pounds of smokeless gunpowder in a residence.

After one of the workers sized up the wreckage following the pork chop explosion, he told a reporter there, “You wouldn’t want him next door to you, would you?”

Ferrin, who is originally from California, then moved to Phoenixville. In 2007, The Phoenix reported that Ferrin was the victim of a blaze in the 200 block of Church Street. The fire caused $600,000 of damage. Ferrin was injured and flown to Temple University Hospital’s Burn Center for treatment. No other injuries were reported in the fire.

According to The Phoenix, the fire started when a hot lamp ignited combustible materials in the apartment.

Ferrin risking a catastrophe, arson and other charges for his suspected role in a March 12 explosion at Molly Maguire’s Irish Restaurant and Pub. When police went to speak with Ferrin Tuesday, they found a bevy of explosives and dynamite-making material in his Mainstay Inn apartment.

On Ferrin’s Facebook profile, he states that he is self-employed and studied painting, writing and French at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He also maintains a Web site featuring his writing.

Ferrin’s work was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1988, when he was 29. He did an exhibit of nudes and still life paintings at Marian Locks Gallery in the city.