I am currently living in the Los Angeles area and this has been, if you'll excuse the pun, a "hot topic" on the local news for some time here, so maybe I can answer some questions:
1) Apparently there was no expected explosion according to the authorities because the explosives involved do not detonate by heat alone and require an explosive detonator to go off (sort of like C4); reports here during the fire cite loud "pops" and muffled "bangs that authorities say may be ammunition or hand grenades exploding in the flames
2) The entire surronding neighborhood was evacuated and a portion of a frewway adjacent to the area was completely blocked off
3) The explosives could not be removed due to a high probability of booby traps and "pack rat" condtions in the structure.
4) A high, temporary wall was erected around parts of the structure to shield neighboring structures from the heat or possible blasts
5) This is not a terrorist-linked situation; the house was rented by a man who was also sought in connection with bank robberies; the explosives were discovered when a gardener stepped on a homemade land mine the tenant had placed on the property [the gardener was seriously injured in the blast]
6) The tenant is being held on an enormous bail amount; his lawyers actually tried to stop the destruction of the house saying that the fire would destroy evidence they might need in the defense of their client; a judge turned down the request
7) Lastly, consider the actual owner of the home: not only did he loose his income property, he now appears [according to news reports] to be getting the usual run around from his homeowner's insurance company
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