REDLANDS - Police arrested a pyrotechnician late Tuesday on suspicion of operating a fireworks factory out of his home and storing hundreds of pounds of potentially explosive materials.
Police said David Matthews, 43, had about 400 pounds of ammonium nitrate packed in his garage and an outdoor shed. The substance, by itself, is not dangerous, but could be explosive when combined with fire and pressure.
"Had the Fire Department responded with their fire hoses, that would have provided the pressure that would have set it off, and it would have blown a hole the size of a school bus in that neighborhood," Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker said.
Police booked Matthews into the Redlands jail on suspicion of possessing explosive materials, said Sgt. Rick Smith.
Officers received a tip about 10 p.m. Tuesday from a resident who suspected the man was making explosives in his home.
Officers searched the home in the 300 block of Los Robles Crest after Matthews gave consent. He lived alone.
"We saw stuff all over the place," Smith said. "There were bags of fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate - just all kinds of tools to make fireworks."
Potassium nitrate, a component of gunpowder, also has other uses such as explosives, fireworks, model-rocket propellants, matches and fertilizers.
The discovery shocked residents who described Matthews as a friendly neighbor who never caused problems. Residents nervously slept through the night, not knowing if they'd have to be evacuated.
"We feel angered that his decisions led to endangering the neighbors if anything should have gone wrong," Pamala Kay Schwarz said.
Schwarz, whose family room sits in close proximity to Matthews' shed, said the man has lived on Los Robles Crest two years and had been involved in fireworks manufacturing the entire time. Neighbors knew he was working with fireworks, but were clueless about the amount of dangerous materials he stored on his property.
Baker said Matthews, who is a licensed pyrotechnician, made professional fireworks out of his home to sell to organizations who put on fireworks displays. Matthews apparently knew keeping such material in a residential neighborhood was illegal.
"He did acknowledge he knew better," Baker said.
San Bernardino County sheriff's bomb and arson investigators came to the scene to inventory the items. Environmental Dynamics Inc., a company contracted by the Office of Emergency Services, transferred the materials to 50-gallon drums to remove them from the property.
Police said David Matthews, 43, had about 400 pounds of ammonium nitrate packed in his garage and an outdoor shed. The substance, by itself, is not dangerous, but could be explosive when combined with fire and pressure.
"Had the Fire Department responded with their fire hoses, that would have provided the pressure that would have set it off, and it would have blown a hole the size of a school bus in that neighborhood," Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker said.
Police booked Matthews into the Redlands jail on suspicion of possessing explosive materials, said Sgt. Rick Smith.
Officers received a tip about 10 p.m. Tuesday from a resident who suspected the man was making explosives in his home.
Officers searched the home in the 300 block of Los Robles Crest after Matthews gave consent. He lived alone.
"We saw stuff all over the place," Smith said. "There were bags of fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate - just all kinds of tools to make fireworks."
Potassium nitrate, a component of gunpowder, also has other uses such as explosives, fireworks, model-rocket propellants, matches and fertilizers.
The discovery shocked residents who described Matthews as a friendly neighbor who never caused problems. Residents nervously slept through the night, not knowing if they'd have to be evacuated.
"We feel angered that his decisions led to endangering the neighbors if anything should have gone wrong," Pamala Kay Schwarz said.
Schwarz, whose family room sits in close proximity to Matthews' shed, said the man has lived on Los Robles Crest two years and had been involved in fireworks manufacturing the entire time. Neighbors knew he was working with fireworks, but were clueless about the amount of dangerous materials he stored on his property.
Baker said Matthews, who is a licensed pyrotechnician, made professional fireworks out of his home to sell to organizations who put on fireworks displays. Matthews apparently knew keeping such material in a residential neighborhood was illegal.
"He did acknowledge he knew better," Baker said.
San Bernardino County sheriff's bomb and arson investigators came to the scene to inventory the items. Environmental Dynamics Inc., a company contracted by the Office of Emergency Services, transferred the materials to 50-gallon drums to remove them from the property.
