Los Angeles police feverishly searched an area near the site of Sunday night's Academy Awards show for more than five hours on Thursday after a man told police he thought a bomb might have been planted in the trunk of his vehicle.

According to Variety magazine, the search turned up empty, but the scare prompted authorities to shut down traffic in the Hollywood neighborhood where the Dolby Theater is located for the duration of their search.

A spokesperson for the LAPD told reporters police initially stopped the man for driving recklessly, and soon after discovered the items in his vehicle. Reuters reports authorities also recovered a propane tank during their investigation. Bomb squad investigators were quickly dispatched, cordoning off much of the neighborhood, including a nearby hotel. Reportedly, the man, who was detained, claimed to also have two canisters of nitrous oxide, a non-flammable gas also known as laughing gas.

Explosive technicians quickly worked to disarm all the items, but police spokeswoman Jane Kim said no actual explosives were found.

The incident took place just before noon about a block from where the legendary Dolby Theater stands. Parts of the neighborhood had already been closed to traffic in anticipation of Sunday night's 87th annual Oscars' show.

Among those nominated for award honors and certain to be in attendance at this year's event are Best Actor nominees Michael Keaton, Bradley Cooper, Eddie Redmayne, Steve Carell and Benedict Cumberbatch. Among the candidates for Best Actress are Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones, Marion Cotillard and Rosamund Pike.

Best Movie nominations include "Selma," "American Sniper," "The Imitation Game," "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," "The Theory of Everything," "Boyhood," "Whiplash" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

Related