Crews Start Demolition, Burning Of South Jordan Home Where Explosives Were Found

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — Demolition of a South Jordan home where potentially “catastrophic” amounts of peroxide-based explosive materials were discovered last year will begin Tuesday, according to city officials.

The home, located at 3371 West Snow Moon Place, was the site of a standoff between the homeowner and police last summer where police were fired upon. Afterward, officers found a stockpile of explosives inside the home and over 600 residents were evacuated while some materials were detonated.

The city filed a lawsuit in March saying the inside of the boarded-up home could be covered with destabilized explosives, and the only way to make it safe is to tear the house down and burn it.

“We appreciate our residents and their patience as we have worked through the process for taking this house down,” said South Jordan Public Information Officer Rachael Van Cleave. “We are all relieved that this house will be gone and that this community can make a fresh start.”

The demolition operation will take several days. Van Cleave said the building’s roof and walls will be destroyed and removed before “a quick burn of the basement” to destroy “any material in it.”

“Liquid TATp that has crystalized and destabilized may have splashed on the walls or ceiling, seeped into and under the carpet, leached through the drywall, cracks or joints, or may have been washed or poured down any one of the several drains in the home,” city attorneys wrote in their lawsuit.

The home’s foundation will then be completely removed, and all materials will be taken to a remote part of a landfill and buried.

“We will be managing the operation, working with a contracted demolition property and other agencies, to ensure it is done in the safest way and with the least impact to residents as possible,” said Chief Chris Dawson with the South Jordan Fire Department.

Dawson added nearby residents will be given the choice to leave their homes during the demolition, and the fire will produce smoke “that will be seen from all around.”

“We will be offering specialized fans to the immediate neighbors that will keep the smoke from the fire out of their homes,” he said. “We have been working with the DEQ and the Salt Lake County Health Department to ensure the safety and healthy air quality for our residents.”

“Our residents can be assured that every precaution has been taken to ensure the safety of everyone involved and the neighborhood,” Van Cleave said.

Businesses will not need to evacuate and the city has plans to minimize any traffic impacts.