THREE INJURED IN HOUSE EXPLOSION

Keith Morison, Calgary Herald / Investigators chat in front of a house
that had an alleged drug explosion Monday afternoon.

A man police say was cooking marijuana to make hash oil turned into a
human fireball Monday after an explosion in a southeast home.

The fire department was called to 36 Appletree Way S.E. at about 6:20
p.m. after neighbours watched in horror as flames came shooting out of
the back door of the small two-level house, followed by a man engulfed
in flames.

"It was really scary," said Craig Durnford, who was at his friend's
house next door when the fire broke out. Two other adults were also
injured in the fire.

"We heard a whoosh and then an explosion so we ran out back to see
what happened. There were flames coming out the door and then a guy
came running out on fire."

Durnford said he began dousing the man with water from a garden hose
while neighbours from the other side called the fire department.
Durnford said he was surprised when some of the people in the back
yard of the burning house told them to cancel the call and began
loading the young man into the back of a pickup truck.

"They kept saying: 'Don't call the police. We'll go to jail,' which I
couldn't understand," said neighbour Brenda Dixon. "I said: You won't
go to jail for lighting your house on fire. There were lots of people
and kids in the yard but they all took off out the back alley before
anyone got here."

By the time paramedics and fire crews showed up, only four adults
remained, three of whom were taken to Foothills Hospital.

Fire Capt. Paul Gough said one 25-year-old man suffered second and
third-degree burns to most of his body. A 24-year-old man suffered
first and second degree burns to his head, while a third man, 19,
suffered first and second degree burns to his head and arms.

Durnford said 25-year-old's body was covered in burns.

"He looked really bad, his clothes were completely burnt. . . It's
tragic."

Police Insp. Paul Manuel said police found a marijuana growing
operation in the basement of the rented house. The fire began when a
pot of isopropyl alcohol blew up.

"They were cooking marijuana on the stove to reduce it down into hash
oil when the alcohol ignited," Manuel said.

Dixon, who has lived with her family in the neighbourhood for 11
years, said a young couple she only knows as Rob and Cindy moved into
the house about a year ago.

"I saw them every morning when they were going to work. They were
really nice people and so young. It's really horrible."

She said the couple had rented a hot tub for the long weekend and had
set up tarps around for a party. "They had been making a lot of noise
over the weekend but I didn't worry about it because it was the first
party they had ever had," she said. "At first I thought the barbecue
had lit the tarps on fire or something."

Manuel said charges will likely be laid.