Police believe chemicals at Boston business not related to explosives, drugs

Nearby residents have been allowed to return to their homes.

Scott Eisen for The Boston Globe

Boston police believe the chemicals found in a convenience store’s basement Tuesday evening in the city’s Fenway neighborhood are not related to explosives or drugs, Police Commissioner Williams Evans said at a press conference.

Authorities, including the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, responded to Fenway Market at 76 Kilmarnock Street after city inspectors located the chemicals at about 6 p.m.

“The inspector for the city has some experience and immediately recognized it was not a good situation,’’ Boston fire spokesman Steve MacDonald told Boston.com.

He said inspectors visited the store after the city received a complaint.

Police evacuated the area, which is about five blocks away from Fenway Park, where the Red Sox were playing the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the game was not affected, and residents were allowed to return home at about 10 p.m., Evans said.

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Authorities are still investigating and testing the chemicals, according to MacDonald, who said there was no spill or leak. He said some of the chemicals are flammable.

Earlier in the night, Evans said the FBI was involved as a precaution.

“It’s a different world out there now,’’ he said. “You just got to make sure there’s nothing sinister going on.’’

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