California Firefighters Discover 15,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Firefighters discovered a cache of illegal fireworks weighing more than 15,000 pounds at a storage facility in the Chinatown neighborhood Tuesday.

About 200 people were evacuated from the building, and a bomb squad was sent in when the fireworks were found on the seventh and eighth floors of the building, police Officer Jason Lee said.

Fire officials said the fireworks - which had a street value of about $200,000 - could have exploded in the rooms they were stored if the area had gotten too hot.

Police closed several streets around the building as the fireworks were removed, Lee said. No was immediately arrested in connection with the fireworks.