Explosion At Broker Inn Blamed On Butane Hash Oil Extraction, Suspects Sought
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – An explosion at the Broker Inn early Wednesday morning was caused by butane hash oil extraction. The blast caused some damage to the Boulder hotel.
Authorities responded shortly before 5 a.m. to the hotel at 555 30th Street, where some people were evacuated. There were no serious injuries in the explosion.
A portion of a wall in unit 307 was missing, shattered glass could be seen in the parking lot, likely from blown out windows, and an an air conditioning unit was on the ground beneath the area where the explosion happened. The blast was captured on cameras rolling at Theatrical Costumes, Etc, a nearby store.
"Kind of jostled me out of bed, my fan was on then it turned off, and the next thing you know I went to turn it back on and I looked down and saw everything on the ground and I was like, 'I think I need to go outside,'" said Broker Inn resident Chris Pert who lives above the room where the explosion happened.
The building is just off Baseline Road near the University of Colorado's campus, and across the street from a student housing area.
Investigators said the blast was caused by butane hash oil extraction. Authorities are searching for two suspects, a man and a woman, believed to have run away after the explosion. Hotel staff told CBS4 the pair had checked in a few days ago.
"We are looking for a man and woman who were registered to that room. There is the possibility that one or both sustained injuries relating to the extraction, possibly burns, we have notified area hospitals," said Boulder Police spokeswoman Shannon Cordingly.
Culinary student Jose Becerra says he slept through the blast and woke up to people telling him to get out of the building.
"I guess it really didn't sound as bad as it really was, but now that I look at the damage, I'm like, that could have been lives, that could have been somebody's life" Becerra said. "I hope they catch these guys because this is pretty dumb to be doing this at a hotel room."
A CBS4 crew captured video of firefighters in their uniforms as they were washed off after having been in the building. That was apparently because of concerns about chemicals or other dangers from the explosion.
"It's almost as if it's out of that TV show 'Breaking Bad' but it's crazy, I'll tell you that much," Pert said.
One employee suffered injury to an ankle while evacuating the building.
It is illegal for amateurs to use compressed gas or flammable liquid chemicals to make hash oil.
