1 killed, 1 injured in butane hash oil explosion in Oxnard
OXNARD, Calif. – An Oxnard man was killed and another was seriously injured in an explosion linked to a butane hash oil lab.
According to the Oxnard Police Department, 56-year-old William Smith was killed when an explosion ripped through a home on the 1300 block of Gardenia Street on Wednesday, Oct. 27. A second man, a 59-year-old from Oxnard, was seriously injured in the explosion.
According to detectives from the Oxnard Drug Enforcement Unit, the explosion happened while the two men were in the process of extracting THC from marijuana plants. Investigators said an undetermined ignition source caused the explosion and fire at the home which left both men badly burned.
The men were transported to the hospital where Smith later died. The other man remains hospitalized in critical condition, Oxnard police said.
Police say a 79-year-old woman who was outside the home when the explosion happened avoided serious injury and was assisted by the American Red Cross.
The process of extracting THC from marijuana plants for the production of hash oil is extremely dangerous. The process utilizes butane which is a highly-flammable gas.
Oxnard police say they are committed to reducing narcotics related crimes in the city.
Anyone with information regarding this case or other criminal activity is urged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at 805-385-7600. You can leave an anonymous tip by calling Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitting an anonymous report on the Oxnard Police Department's website.
