An East Bridgewater man was arrested Thursday after police found a large number of explosive devices in the cellar of his East Street house, authorities said.

Michael Ambrose, 41, was charged with multiple counts of possession of explosive devices, police declared.

The area was cleared for several hours Thursday, being closed for traffic and pedestrians. Three nearby homes were evacuated.

The state police bomb squad, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as local authorities were involved in the investigation.

The inquiry started when police received a tip that Ambrose owned explosive devices in his home. Police officers obtained a search warrant and started searching his home Thursday.

East Bridgewater police Chief, John Cowan, said he did not know how strong the bombs were and what they contained.

Neighbors said they were shocked by the large number of police and fire vehicles on their street. They said the neighborhood was usually very quiet and they didn’t expect such an event to occur. They also said they didn’t know too much about Ambrose.

According to the Boston Herald, Sgt. Michael McLaughlin said police had visited Ambrose’s house in the past, but for issues that were not related to explosive allegations.