Hazmat crews detonate 'ancient dynamite' found in Utah home after neighbors evacuated

A Utah neighborhood was evacuated and locked down Tuesday night after "ancient dynamite" was found in a home, authorities said.

Capt. Tony Barker of the Unified Fire Authority said at a Tuesday news conference that the health department and Environmental Protection Agency responded to a local resident to investigate "hazardous materials." Upon arrival, they called for the bomb squad and hazmat teams from the UFA.

Barker said Tuesday that explosives were found in a home near 6200 South and 2300 East in Holladay, Utah, and that a "controlled detonation" was planned sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. He also said an evacuation plan was in place as well as a shelter-in-place plan for surrounding homes.

Hazmat crews detonated the explosives around 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to KSL-TV, a news outlet based in Salt Lake City.

Barker told local media that no foul play is suspected and that the dynamite was discovered after the owner of the home called a friend to assist them. When the friend arrived, "that's when calls were made," according to Barker.

"It is ancient dynamite. The information we received was that the dynamite was passed down from generation to generation so how old it is, we actually do not know," Barker said at the news conference. Barker also said that while the exact amount of dynamite was not known, it was "a lot" and enough to where there are "two different mitigation events to handle all this dynamite."

When asked where in the house the dynamite was found, such as the basement, garage, or shed, Barker responded, "Yes. All of it, correct … To say he was a collector of fine explosives would not be an understatement." Barker said the amount of dynamite found in the home was "pretty impressive in scope" and that he's never seen anything like it in his career.

According to Barker, the controlled detonation will not impact surrounding homes or structures, but that the home where the dynamite was found will be "uninhabitable" after the detonation.

According to KSL-TV, officials are investigating whether the homeowner will face criminal charges.

The EPA did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].