Los Angeles police are investigating a deadly, explosive fire at a Green Meadows industrial site early Saturday after a body was recovered amid signs of an illegal cannabis operation, fire and police officials said.
The body appeared to be that of a man, although authorities have not yet confirmed the person's identity, said Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Officer Jader Chaves, an LAPD spokesman, said a second person was transported to a hospital in critical condition, although he had no additional information about the cause or nature of that person's injuries.
Chaves said the operation discovered at the industrial building in the 800 block of East Manchester Avenue was being investigated as an “illegal clandestine butane honey oil laboratory.”
“Butane honey oil” is a potent hash product made with highly flammable butane to heat the marijuana extract. The process is considered volatile and extremely dangerous, and these types of clandestine operations are illegal despite the broader legalization of many cannabis products in California.
Humphrey said 113 firefighters battled the blaze for more than an hour, after arriving at the scene upon hearing the sound of explosions following a 911 call around 1:17 a.m.
A deadly fire tore through a building in the Green Meadows area of South Los Angeles early Saturday morning.
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Humphrey said the building was about 100 feet long by 50 feet wide and appeared abandoned from the outside, but that “didn't add up” given the explosiveness and strength of the fire.
As firefighters began trying to put out the fire, they realized some type of cannabis operation had taken place inside, Humphrey said. There were cannabis products, processing equipment and some type of gas cylinders lying around, he said.
They struggled to enter the building but were pushed back as the fire grew and the building gave way, he said. The fire initially threatened other surrounding buildings, but firefighters were able to contain it to one building, Humphrey said.
After containing the fire and going deeper into the scene, firefighters found the body, he said. A team from the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office also responded to the scene and removed the body.
Hash oil produced in these laboratories has become increasingly popular, especially with the rise of electronic cigarettes. But they have also caused many explosions in Southern California, sending hashish chefs and other bystanders to burn centers with catastrophic injuries.
Just to give one example, an explosion at a laboratory in a commercial building near Knott's Berry Farm in Anaheim in 2022 injured at least four people, including two firefighters.
