CMC Recycling on Western Avenue called 911 Thursday afternoon about a smoking 5-by-5 steel box placed near an oxygen tank that the caller said had about 200 sticks of dynamite inside it. 

The caller said they saw a person cutting the hinges off the box using a torch. 

Authorities responded around 2:15 p.m. to the call, and a bomb squad technician followed closely afterward. Although the box hadn’t been confirmed to be an explosive, the technician proceeded as if it was out of an abundance of caution.

The bomb squad sent a drone to get a closer look at the 5-by-5 box, but the item was smoking, making it difficult to get a clear view of its contents. 

After further investigation Friday, it was found that the box was unintentionally set on fire. 

“On Thursday, CMC Recycling was using a torch to salvage the box when they unintentionally set the box on fire and discovered the dynamite,” Scott Earnland, KPD communications manager, said in a press release. 

At 4:25 p.m. Thursday afternoon, an emergency alert was issued to evacuate all homes and businesses within a half-mile radius of CMC Recycling in the Lonsdale area surrounding the 2700 block of Western Avenue out of an “absolute abundance of caution” Earnland said. 

Knoxville City Mayor Indya Kincannon recommended evacuees go to the Jacob Building for shelter, and the American Red Cross coordinated gathering supplies. 

Earnland suggested that the investigation was expected to last until Friday. According to KPD, removing the materials of the box would be a “delicate and slow-moving process.” 

This morning, an explosive ordnance robot was deployed to get a sample of the suspected explosives. The sample tested positive for ammonium nitrate — as confirmed by lab scientists at Quantico — which is consistent with dynamite.

The box was not seen to be a terrorist threat. 

“There is no evidence to suggest that the box was left on the site maliciously or with criminal intent. CMC Recycling is a metal recycling facility that purchases material to be salvaged. The box, which was locked and unmarked, was on the site for at least several days,” KPD said in a press release. 

Although the box is no longer emitting smoke, the evacuation order will stay in effect until the bomb squad can completely remove the box and the area is deemed safe again. 

Work to dismantle the box is expected to continue into Friday night and possibly Saturday morning.