It came to be known as the bomb factory. The largest cache of homemade explosives in the nation was discovered on November 18, 2010 at 1954 Via Scott in unincorporated Escondido.  A gardener was hurt in an explosion while working in the yard. 

The Sheriff's Department Bomb/Arson Unit responded, but had to abandon its search after finding a volatile clutter of chemicals, detonators, grenades and other explosive materials all over the house.  In the course of the investigation, more than nine pounds of Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD)was found. This is a highly unstable powder that's extremely sensitive to heat, shock, friction or even the slightest touch. Suicide bombers used HMTD in a terrorist attack against London in 2005 that killed 52 people and injured 700 others. 

The amount of explosive and hazardous material was a threat to the entire block in the neighborhood, but first responders couldn't safely enter the house to remove the mounds of volatile materials. There was no viable method to render the property safe.  Working with 60 federal, state and local agencies, a decision was made to burn the house to the ground. 

The house was destroyed in a controlled burn lasting 30 minutes on December 9, 2010.  Houses near the property were evacuated and sprayed ahead of time with fire-retardant foam and gel.  Nearby trees and brush were cleared. A section of I-15 was shut down for nearly two hours.  No one was hurt and no other homes were damaged during the controlled burn.

Sheriff's Media Relations kept the public and media informed through a town hall meeting, updated news releases, as well as Twitter and Nixle updates.  Prior to this case, there was no guidance or template on how to deal with a powder keg in a neighborhood.  The Escondido Bomb House case is now used as a model by public safety professionals nationwide. 

George Djura Jakubec remains in federal prison serving a 30 year sentence.  He pleaded guilty on March 14, 2010 to charges of manufacturing and possessing explosives and the explosive devices found in his home, as well as robbing and attempting to rob four banks in San Diego County.