Hash Oil Explosions Becoming A Dangerous Trend
DENVER (CBS4) – More than a dozen explosions in the Denver area so far this year are being blamed on people cooking hash oil.
The most recent case happened Monday morning on North Clarkson Street where investigators suspect a hash oil explosion caused a home to catch fire. Nobody was hurt but the basement and first floor were seriously damaged.
"I was startled out of a dead sleep. I heard glass shattering," said neighbor Joules Poolski.
Monday's explosion makes for a total of eight in Denver alone.
"We have seen a trend since Jan. 1. We have actually started tracking these types of incidents," said Mark Watson with the Denver Fire Department.
Denver firefighters say although marijuana is legal, extracting THC or hash oil through a cooking process violates Denver fire codes.
The process itself is highly flammable, it's very dangerous," said Watson.
In Jefferson County over the weekend another fire linked to a hash oil operation put a man in the hospital. Since his two young children were home at the time, once he's released he could face arson and child abuse charges.
"People that try to do this by themselves are putting themselves, and not just themselves, but people in the house and even people in adjoining buildings in a dangerous situation," said Watson.
Extracting hash oil is legal in Denver if using proper equipment in a safe environment. The Denver Fire Department issues the permits.
