CHICO — The bomb squad Monday detonated what looked like a pipe bomb, but it turned out to be a galvanized pipe full of marijuana.

The object prompted the evacuation of three apartment buildings at Mission Ranch Apartments, 400 Mission Ranch Blvd., from about 1:15 p.m. to about 4:30 p.m.

A maintenance worker inspecting an upstairs apartment where the tenant had been evicted found the object in a kitchen drawer, said Sgt. Mike Nelson.

He grabbed it and walked out before realizing that it could have been an explosive.

The man then set it down on the apartment’s banister and called 9-1-1.

The device was a 6-to-8-inch galvanized pipe threaded with screw-on caps on both ends. There were no wires attached.

The Butte County Interagency Bomb Squad was called by the Chico Police Department after Nelson and officer Don Finkbiner investigated and photographed the device.

It was nerve-wracking going up to a potentially explosive device, Nelson said.

Although the device had not been confirmed to be an explosive, the bomb squad was called to be sure, Chico police Lt. Mike O’Brien said.

Bomb squad technicians arrived at about 3:40 p.m. and set up for less than an hour before detonating the pipe at about 4:20 p.m.

Once the item was cleared, it was learned that the pipe was not an explosive device, Nelson said. However, it was found to be “stuffed full of marijuana.”

The pipe resembled an item used to extract or manufacture honey oil, he said.

Chico police will follow up on the case and investigate the potential manufacturing of honey oil, Nelson said.

Neighbor Lucille Kubik, who lives next door to where the pipe was found, was alerted she needed to vacate her residence soon after the find, she said.

Kubik didn’t have any direct contact with her next-door neighbor, who had only been there two months, but she said she noticed some “bad elements” there.

There were a lot of men reportedly coming and going at all times, Kubik said. The activity allegedly seemed drug-related.

There appears to be one tenant on the lease, but there were other people staying who were not supposed to be living there, O’Brien said. The tenant was evicted Friday, but it didn’t appear to have been over a major problem.

Chico police had not contacted the evicted tenant by the time of the detonation.

For video of the recovery and detonation, go to http:goo.gl/tldtcX.