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Westminster Man Suffers Serious Burns After Homemade Fireworks Explosion

WESTMINSTER (CBSLA.com) — A man in his 40s is recovering Wednesday from second and third-degree burns after homemade fireworks exploded in his garage.

Police and firefighters were called to the 15300 block of Vermont Street in Westminster around 4 p.m. Tuesday on a report of an explosion, officials said.

Officials believe the man was experimenting with the explosive materials when the small blast occurred.

Several nearby homes were evacuated as a result and a small fire in the garage was extinguished.

Authorities later served a search warrant on the property and found pyrotechnic materials including gunpowder, in addition to a large amount of illegal drugs, packaging materials and scales.

The Orange County Bomb Squad took possession of all the hazardous materials.

The unidentified man is recovering at UCI Medical Center and could face charges of possession of explosive-making materials and possession of a controlled substance for sale, according police.

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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