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Home evacuated after shady package delivered

Technicians from the Regional Hazardous Materials Association of Eagle County remove a suspicious package from a home in Lake Creek on Wednesday.
Special to the Daily |

EAGLE COUNTY — A hazardous material team responded to a home in Lake Creek on Wednesday following the delivery of a suspicious package.

Technicians ultimately found the substance was not toxic or hazardous.

At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Eagle River Fire Protection District were dispatched to a residence on E. Lake Creek Road. The homeowners reported that they signed for a package that they were not expecting and upon opening the outside envelope discovered a sealed plastic bag inside containing an unidentified white powder.



The outer envelope had been opened, the inner package had not been breached. The home was evacuated, and officials requested the assistance of the Regional Hazardous Materials Association of Eagle County.

The U.S. Postal Inspector was also notified because the homeowners did not recognize the return address, and reported that the package was hand-delivered to the home by an individual assumed to be a USPS worker, which was unusual. The package appeared to have originated in Canada, and was originally addressed to the homeowners’ primary residence in Florida.

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Chemical Testing Inconclusive

Two technicians donned sealed hazmat suits to retrieve and double-bag the package, which was transported to the Eagle County law enforcement shooting range in Wolcott to be tested. Chemical testing was inconclusive; however the test did reveal that the substance was an unidentifiable food grade material that was not toxic or hazardous.

The package was disposed of at the request of the homeowner.

“The homeowners did exactly the right thing,” said Tracy LeClair, Eagle River Fire public information officer. “They recognized inconsistencies in not only how the package was addressed, but also identified almost immediately that the contents were suspicious. So they isolated the package and called 911 immediately.”


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