Explosion, Fire In North Bay Home Caused By Illegal Drug Lab: Sonoma County Sheriff

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- A man from New Hampshire has some explaining to do to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. Sonoma County Sheriff’s Narcotics detectives say they're investigating the man after a Tuesday night explosion and fire that occurred at a rural house.

At about 9:30 p.m. on April 18, deputies were deployed to a home in the 4900 block of Hessel Road in Sebastopol in regards to a fire with a person yelling for help; a neighbor also said he heard the resident yelling for help at that he was on fire. The caller also described the sound of either gunshots or an explosion.

When deputies arrived they say they found the home had suffered significant fire damage to the kitchen area, which firefighters extinguished, and also found that the home contained a large marijuana grow and a butane honey oil producing lab. The above photo shows a portion of the damage.

Deputies checked local hospitals but couldn’t find anyone who came in with burn injuries. Narcotics detectives were called to the scene who then obtained a search warrant and found three large marijuana grows on the property; two in greenhouses behind the house and one in the garage. They also found a butane honey oil producing lab in a outbuilding on the property.

Deputies said that part of the honey oil lab had been tossed over the fence, likely as a way to hide it from responding personnel.

Detectives determined that the suspect had been refining the honey oil in the kitchen area of the home and the resident had also been cooking something which ignited the substance, causing a significant explosion and fire.

The resident, who was renting the home, is believed to be Nicholas Fusco, a 28 year-old New Hampshire native. Detectives said they later learned Fusco is alive, and was able to bandage himself up without going to a hospital, but that he wasn’t willing to cooperate with investigators.

In addition to the honey oil lab, detectives seized about 2,868 marijuana plants from the home in varying stages of growth, one pound of butane honey oil product, 210 pounds of processed marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy and almost $9,000 in cash.

Police say evidence suggests that Fusco was growing marijuana and manufacturing honey oil for profit and detectives will be seeking felony charges against Fusco for cultivation of marijuana, manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of controlled substances for sale.

Image via Sonoma County Sheriff's Office