[symple_googlemap title=”GG honey oil lab” location=”5700 Block of Santa Catalina Avenue, Garden Grove, CA” height=”300″ zoom=”16″]
A man suffered burns Wednesday in an explosion in Garden Grove that apparently occurred when he was operating an illegal “honey oil” butane lab to extract concentrated cannabis from marijuana leaves, police said.
The incident occurred about 1:25 a.m. in the 5700 Block of Santa Catalina Avenue, said Garden Grove Police Lt. Carl Whitney.
The 32-year-old man was taken to a hospital for treatment of “severe” burns on his face, arms and legs, and was listed in stable condition, Whitney said. His name was not immediately released.
“The victim had been living in a makeshift shed made out of an outdoor gazebo in the rear yard of the home,” Whitney said. “The subject was operating an illegal honey oil butane lab, which is a process of extracting concentrated cannabis from marijuana leaves.
This extraction method is highly explosive due to butane being used in the process,” Whitney said. “During the extraction, the butane ignited, causing a small explosion that caused severe burns on the victim.”
Fire and police investigators were working to collect evidence at the scene.
—City News Service