Street Closed After Chemicals Are Found

A street was closed for several hours Tuesday as authorities worked to identify whether substances found in a garage posed a threat to the neighborhood.

The substances turned out to be pesticides, gunpowder and fireworks additives, but there was no danger, authorities said.

The Ventura County Fire Department’s hazardous-incident response team and the Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad were called out by police Tuesday morning to identify whether chemicals stored at the Broadmoor Avenue home might explode.

Fire officials blocked off the street between Bromfield and Chesterton streets from just after 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

The incident began when a man called about 2 a.m. Tuesday to say he had the makings of fireworks in his garage and that he was concerned he might put his neighbors at risk, said Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Joe Luna.

When police arrived, Luna said, the man showed them what was in the garage and mentioned that a black powder stored in a barrel was gunpowder.

Police called the Fire Department and took the man, who they did not identify, to Simi Valley Hospital for evaluation.

Fire Department officials contacted the man’s employer, Mitchell Pest Control in the San Gabriel Valley, which sent representatives to remove any chemicals that belonged to the company.

After representatives identified chemicals belonging to the company, officials worked to identify a variety of other chemicals, many of which were neatly packaged in small containers and stored in larger containers.

Luna said some of the chemicals may be used as color additives in fireworks.

No residents were evacuated.