Azusa neighborhood evacuated after cache of illegal fireworks found in storage facility, police say

AZUSA, Calif. (KABC) — Residents of an Azusa neighborhood were forced to evacuate their homes Monday as a bomb squad spent hours removing thousands of pounds of homemade fireworks and other dangerous explosives from a residence.

Authorities responded around 3:20 p.m. to the 900 block of West Hollyvale Street and evacuated about 27 homes in the area.

Authorities arrived in the neighborhood after investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office found around 1,700 pounds of commercial and illegal fireworks at a storage facility in Irwindale.

The bust prompted authorities to search the home on Hollyvale in Azusa, according to police.

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Police say a man at the residence was detained for questioning and that a van parked at the home was filled with explosives.

“Illegal fireworks were located along with some explosive-type materials used to manufacture fireworks, as a result of that the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad was called in,” Azusa police Lt. Jake Bushey said.

Members of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad found materials used for making fireworks and more explosives inside the house.

Evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes just before 10:20 p.m.

Authorities said the materials would not be detonated in the neighborhood.

Last year, LAPD seized a cache of illegal fireworks in South L.A. but the devices exploded after they were placed in a containment vessel, injuring several people and damaging homes. Investigators concluded that the vessel had been overloaded.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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