We've seen frightening scenarios play out in other Pennsylvania towns.

We figured it could happen here, too.And now it did.The FBI spent two days finding and cataloging materials stored inside a Summit Hill basement after the homeowner made a discovery last week which made him feel uncomfortable.The basement contained hydrochloric and sulfuric acids not illegal to have. But they were stored with unnamed items considered contraband. A volatile combination.Exactly one year ago, something eerily similar happened near Levittown.Police executed a search warrant of a home and found a bedroom converted into a bomb lab.Bristol Township authorities discovered pipes for pipe bombs, ball bearings, bomb books and even books on serial killers.Earlier last year, another similar event took place when authorities discovered a Penn State Altoona student was stashing weapons of mass destruction.The 18-year-old stocked a room with homemade bombs, including fuses attached to aluminum and plastic containers, and supplies of atomized magnesium, Chinese potassium perchlorate and a package labeled potassium nitrate powder.We're not saying the Summit Hill incident is the same. We really don't know.Officials are being mum, for now, about the nature of the illegal materials.But we do know this: streets were shut down, traffic was diverted, safety perimeters were set up and neighbors were told to retreat to the safety of their homes.Residents were nervous, and justifiably so.Where there's smoke, there's fire.And there was plenty of smoke in Summit Hill when 30 FBI agents converged on the town.Things are starting to return to normal this week. But everybody wants to know what happened.Eventually, we'll find out.In the meantime, we owe a debt of thanks to Summit Hill and Lansford fire departments, local police, state police, county emergency management, the Allentown bomb squad and the FBI for keeping everybody safe.Equally important, we owe thanks to homeowner Paul Yuricheck, who saw something suspicious and blew the whistle.By contacting authorities, Yuricheck placed the safety of the public over his own immediate, personal concerns.If everybody would learn to do the same, we'd live in a much safer world.By DONALD R. SERFASSdserfass@tnonline.com