Bomb Squad Clears Lexington Home After Finding Radioactive Materials and Unstable Picric Acid.

A bomb squad rolled into action Tuesday after hazardous finds turned a quiet Lexington home into a restricted zone. The incident began when a chemical mediation company arrived to clean out the lab of a deceased chemist located on Longfellow Road near Boston. What they found was far from ordinary: bottles containing old, degraded chemicals labeled as compromised sat alongside two specific threats, a radioactive non-transportable material and picric acid.

The air grew heavy with urgency when officials realized dry picric acid is highly sensitive. Minor impact or friction could trigger a detonation. Heat poses an equal risk. Even worse, this odorless crystal forms salts upon touching common metals. Those salts become even more unstable than the acid itself, according to data from Stanford University Environmental Health & Safety. The house had been empty since the owner died, yet no signs of crime pointed toward foul play.

Lexington Fire Chief Derek Sencabaugh led the charge to secure the scene with police help. Evacuation orders went out while teams methodically removed every dangerous item.

'These materials could not be left in place and had to be carefully and methodically removed for safe disposal,' Sencabaugh stated in a press release from the Department of Fire Services. 'Our priority at every step was the safety of community residents and our first responders.'

A Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad joined the effort, deploying both a hazmat team and an FBI bomb technician. The operation required patience and precision to handle such a complex scenario involving multiple agencies. One truck from the Lexington Department of Public Works arrived filled with sand. Technicians transferred the explosive and unidentified substances into it before hauling the load away to a remote location for destruction without incident.

Radioactive materials went straight to a licensed radiological contractor, while a private cleanup firm took custody of the rest. By 8:00 pm Tuesday, teams were cleared from the area. No injuries or illnesses were reported, and officials confirmed no threat exists for the public or environment.

State Fire Marshal Jon Davine noted that Massachusetts has invested decades into planning and training for events exactly like this. He acknowledged the professionalism of partners in Lexington throughout the mission.

'We see this fact pattern a few times a year,' Davine said. 'It often involves family members who find military ordnance after a veteran passes away. This was a much more complex scenario.'

The cleanup company did not mention specific details about what remained, but the situation highlights how quickly an abandoned property can become dangerous without proper oversight. Families dealing with inherited homes might stumble upon forgotten explosives or unstable chemicals left behind by former owners. Government directives and rapid response teams exist to handle these risks, ensuring that communities stay safe even when secrets from the past come to light. The interagency teamwork between fire marshals, police, bomb technicians, and hazmat experts proved vital in neutralizing the threat quickly.