A north Claremont neighborhood was shut down Monday afternoon as bomb squad authorities investigated potential explosives that turned out to be old Vietnam War-era ammunition.

Just before 1 p.m., someone on the 2400 block of San Mateo Court called police after finding what they suspected to be explosives in a wooden box belonging to a deceased family member, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Inman of the LA County Fire Department told the COURIER.

LA County Fire officials, the Claremont Police Department and the LA County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad were called in, and Mount Carmel was blocked off from San Diego Ct to Indian Hill Boulevard.

Evacuations were ordered within 100 yards in either direction, Assistant Chief Inman said.

Bomb squad officials suited up and a robot was deployed. Small, unidentified items could be seen on the sidewalk and were taken by the bomb squad.

Ultimately, the “main concern turned out to be inert,” Assistant Chief Inman said, and the items were identified as old Vietnam-era ammunition.

They will be taken and disposed of, he added, while the house will be doubled checked to make sure it’s safe.

There were no injuries.

—Matthew Bramlett

news@claremont-courier.com