Bomb squad destroys dynamite found in Naperville yard

The DuPage County bomb squad destroyed a large explosive Wednesday that was found in the garden of a Naperville man's home, officials said.

Sgt. Gregg Bell of the Naperville Police Department said police were called to the 3500 block of Fairmount Road in Naperville by the homeowner who found the explosive, which looked like a large M-80 or a small stick of dynamite.

“It was a flash powder device that was completely made out of paper and has no switches or triggers,” Bell said. “It was also waterlogged, so its unclear if it was operable or not.”

Bell said the Naperville man found the explosive in his garden after he returned home from being away for an extended period of time.

He said, despite the device being waterlogged, the DuPage County Bomb Squad was called in and they detonated the device in a nearby field.

No one was injured, Bell said.

“It was completely destroyed, despite it being waterlogged,” he said. “The bomb squad blows it up to make sure it doesn't accidentally detonate at any time in the future.”

He said the incident remains under investigation.