The Orange County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad blew up unstable smokeless gun powder at a residence on Buena Vista today to prevent the volatile substance from being transported through City streets. The incident caused the temporary evacuation of five nearby homes.
The gun powder, which contained an unstable chemical, was blasted inside a containment vessel in a trailer at the house.
The Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the home at 28443 Buena Vista around 11:30 a.m. in response to a routine call from a woman asking authorities to remove old ammunition from her garage.
When the deputy arrived, he found about 20 pounds of smokeless gun powder and called the Bomb Squad after smelling a strong chemical order. Attempting to neutralize the powder, the woman had inadvertently added a volatile chemical that caused it to be unstable.
Authorities safely blasted the powder in two batches. No one was injured and residents returned to their homes.
