Police Investigating Hash Oil Explosion In Littleton
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) – Deputies in Jefferson County are investigating a hash oil explosion that happened at a Littleton townhouse Saturday night.
Firefighters were called to South Independence Street in unincorporated Jefferson County around 8:40 p.m.
Two children were home when the blast happened, and while they were not injured, the parents could face arson and child abuse charges.
"We saw all the flashing lights that I came out to find out it was drugs being cooked or whatever, I went 'oh gosh,' " said neighbor Shannon Minger.
When Minger found out her neighbors were cooking hash oil her stomach flipped.
"The neighbor that was there said he heard this massive explosion. All the pictures fell off of his wall," said Minger.
The children and the mother weren't hurt in the explosion but their father suffered minor injuries.
"It's not like cooking meth, which is much more complicated. It's normally a butane based cooking process and the fumes from the butane is what sparked and caused the explosion," said Mark Techmeyer from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.
Techmeyer says cooking hash is becoming a trend statewide.
"It produces a much stronger high," he said.
In Denver last week there was another hash oil explosion from what investigators call an illegal extraction.
"The end result is the hash oil is a very concentrated THC level that's derived from marijuana. So it can be used for cooking edibles. It can also be smoked. There's different ways they can use it," said Techmeyer.
The children in the case are now staying with other family members.
"It's more being disgusted that people, when they have little children, would do these sort of things," said Minger.
Deputies are still waiting to interview the children's father before moving forward with the investigation. He remains in the hospital.