Firefighters caught up in huge explosion at LA hash oil manufacturer
Eleven crew members were injured in the incident on Saturday evening.
Eleven firefighters have been injured in an explosion at a hash oil manufacturer in Los Angeles.
The fire crews had gone inside the complex in the city’s Toy District after an initial report of a fire, but then had to run for their lives when a ball of flames exploded out of the building and scorched a fire engine across the street.
Some of the firefighters escaped with minor injuries but others were more seriously burned, and three are said to be in a critical condition. All those injured are expected to survive.
He directed everyone to get out, and as they quickly started exiting the building it was rocked by the explosion.
Los Angeles Fire Department captain Erik Scott said “one significant explosion” occurred at around 6.30pm local time on Saturday.
He said people at the scene described the explosion as sounding like a freight train or jet engine.
The fleeing firefighters tore off their protective equipment that had burned and helmets that had melted, Mr Scott said.
“The was one of the worst scenes I’ve seen,” he said.
Mr Scott said the building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes, which he described as a maker of “butane honey oil”.
Butane is an odourless gas that easily ignites, and it is used in the process to extract the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis plants to create a highly potent concentrate also known as hash oil. The oil is used in vape pens, edibles, waxes and other products.
On its website, SmokeTokes advertises a wide variety of products including “puff bars”, pipes, “dab” tools, vaporisers, “torches and butane”, and cartridges.
