Pasadena Drug Lab Explosion Investigation Ongoing

PASADENA, CA — Authorities Monday were investigating an explosion at a drug lab in Pasadena that left a man with serious burns.

Firefighters sent to the 1900 block of East Washington Boulevard about 9 p.m. Sunday found a small blaze in a shed-type building at the rear of the property and quickly extinguished the flames, said county fire Capt. Keith Mora.

"Multiple" empty butane tanks were found at the scene, and the cause of the fire was listed as suspicious, Mora said.

ABC7 reported that bundles of marijuana, baking plates and butane canisters were also found, triggering an investigation by the L.A. IMPACT drug task force.

Detective Scott Schulze of the task force told Channel 7 that the explosion occurred at a medium-sized honey oil lab, an operation that involves the "very dangerous" chemical extraction of THC from marijuana using flammable solvents.

"About a third of the labs we go to of this type have already blown up," he said.

City News Service