WEST BOUNTIFUL, Utah — For over two hours Monday, the Davis County Bomb Squad removed explosives from a home in a West Bountiful neighborhood, throwing neighbors into a situation they've never had to deal with before.
“We’ve had lights flashing all weekend… and we weren’t sure what was going on yet,” said neighbor Lauren Paskett.
“I’ve been here for 15 years, this is a first for me in the city," added West Bountiful Police Chief Brandon Erekson. "I’ve had other bomb incidents previously, but since my time here, it’s a first."
On Saturday, while investigating another call, officers found decades-old explosive material, including dynamite, at a home near 1400 North 1100 West, leading to the arrest of 80-year-old Dwayne Hughes.
Over the next few days, police secured the area as the Davis County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad evaluated the explosives. At around 10 a.m. Monday, anyone living within 2,000 feet of the home was evacuated as the disposal process began.
“So I jumped in the car because I’m thinking, 'What in the heck is going on?', and I went across the bridge, and I saw about seven cars behind me, and I thought, something is up," explained West Bountiful resident Joanne Parker.
When neighbors learned the reason behind the evacuation order, they were concerned.
“I talked to some neighbors, and they were a bit worried, and they live just down the street," said Paskett. "The only thing we were worried about is there are three gas lines running through here. One is directly through our yard.
"If things went sideways, it could’ve been a lot worse.”
Bomb technicians successfully removed all explosives from the home.
Several viewers reached out to FOX 13 News, telling us the property has constantly been an issue in the neighborhood.
West Bountiful City Administrator Duane Huffman shared that the city has had long-standing issues with the property owners, even filing lawsuits against Hughes, although there haven’t been recent complaints.
Others said they’ve had nothing but kind interactions with Hughes and those who live at the house.
“We’ve never had any problems. He’s a friendly, friendly guy," Paskett said of Hughes.
Neighbors were able to get back into their homes Monday afternoon, but the shock of the situation will stay with some of them.
“We just never know," Parker said, "we just don’t know."
