WATCH: Loud boom heard as officials detonate Holladay home with stash of dynamite
HOLLADAY, Utah (ABC4) — Hazmat and fire officials were at the scene of a planned detonation in Holladay on Tuesday night, where neighbors said there were reports of dynamite in a home.
“It’s been there for years and years and years, apparently,” Lyndee Aardema said of the dynamite.
Aardema has lived in the neighborhood for four years. She told ABC4.com that she had never seen a situation like this before. She said there was a detour when she was on her way home from work when she saw a big white tent and knew something was wrong.
Fire crews began evacuating residents within a 1,500-foot radius of the home just around midnight. Rob, a resident whose home is neighboring the detonated house, told ABC4 they were not given a lot of time to grab essentials before being rushed out the door.
Officials were able to safely dispose of the dynamite using the planned detonation just before 4 a.m. The resulting explosion could be heard throughout the Salt Lake valley, as far as South Salt Lake.
United Fire Authority Assistant Chief Dustin Dern said there was a small fire from the explosion, which was contained to the house where the dynamite was found.
“We’ll be on scene until the fire is mitigated and the bomb techs say they’re good to go in that aspect,” said Dern. “There is going to be some other cleanup. There is some structural damage to the area around there that we will be assessing as well.”
Residents who were evacuated from their homes have slowly been allowed to return and officials have not reported any injuries.
“Grateful that everyone is OK, and no one was hurt, everyone’s safe,” Aardema said. “They did the right thing by calling authorities when they found it.”
Aardema said the neighborhood typically sees things like raccoons and deer — not bomb squads and old dynamite.
“It’s kind of chaotic,” Aardema said of the situation ahead of the planned detonation. “It’s a little … little bit scary.”
United Fire Authority said the home belonged to a woman who had just lost her husband. She was reportedly cleaning the home and going through his items when she stumbled upon the dynamite. UFA said the woman had no idea the dynamite was there.
Fire officials have ruled the house is a total loss.
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