2 Hurt In Butane Explosion, Police: Injured Trying To Make Hash
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- The two men who were hurt in an explosion at a Longmont home on Wednesday were trying to make hash. Firefighters found a basement full of pot plants.
Police said three men were spraying butane into a jar of marijuana to make hash oil when it exploded.
One man suffered burns to his hands and face when butane vapors ignited in his garage which caused an explosion that blew out windows and brought neighbors running.
"Very loud, it was a loud explosion, and then some glass and then some yelling," said neighbor Dan Krauss. "And I was very concerned that someone might be on fire."
Police said the men were using butane to extract hash oil from marijuana. The oil is pure THC, the active ingredient in pot. It's potent and explosive and sells for up to $100 a gram.
"People were on fire within the home. They ran out, stripped their clothes and then they immediately said to neighbors, 'Don't call the police,'" said Longmont Police Commander Jeff Satur. "They then witnessed these same individuals start throwing things into the trash, dragging things out of the garage. The neighbors obviously called the police."
The men face charges of conspiracy and arson.
"They put potentially the neighbors at risk of their homes burning down," said Satur.
He said the owner of the home told investigators he moved to Longmont from New Jersey because of Colorado's legalized pot laws. He was growing a large number of marijuana plants in his basement.
"No drug charges, right now it's just arson because marijuana is legal," said Satur.
This is the third such explosion in Colorado in just over a year.
