Four in custody after explosion at illegal butane honey oil operation

Four men have been arrested, including two who were injured, following an explosion early Thursday morning at a commercial building in San Leandro that police said had a butane honey oil lab operation, authorities said.

The explosion was reported at the building in the 1700 block of Timothy Drive, near Williams Street and just south of Interstate Highway 880, shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday, according to police.

San Leandro police officers and firefighters from the Alameda County Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, authorities said.

Investigators from both agencies inspected the scene and confirmed there was evidence on the property associated with a butane oil lab operation, according to police.

Two men were transported to a hospital where they were treated for minor injuries, police said.

The other two males were arrested and transported to the San Leandro Jail for alleged offenses relating to the illegal production of concentrated cannabis, according to police.

There weren’t any fatalities in the explosion.

Police said butane honey oil labs are extremely dangerous because the process involved extracting a concentrated form of THC from marijuana using butane.

They said the volatile gas is extremely flammable and can cause an instant explosion from a single spark, such as static electricity.

San Leandro police Lt. Ted Henderson said in a statement:

“People need to understand that this process can kill or seriously injure those who are anywhere near these types of operations. The four individuals who were arrested for this operation are lucky to be alive.”

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