DOPE MAKERS BURNED: COPS

Smoke May Have Set Off Blast

CALGARY -- One of five people hurt during a botched effort to
manufacture illicit drugs may have sparked an explosion when they
tried to light a smoke, say fire and police officials.

Three of those people were still in hospital in critical condition
yesterday with second- and third-degree burns.

Two others were treated and released.

Det. Sid Procee with the joint forces arson unit said the
individuals, two youths and three adults, are lucky to be alive.

"This could have been fatal for all of them," he said. "It is very
fortunate the individuals were not killed."

Manufacturing hash oil is both reckless and dangerous, and puts many
people in the area in danger, Procee said. In this case, drug-related
and arson charges are pending, he said.

Thursday night's flash-fire in the garage caused about $3,000 in
damages to the garage.

Insp. Shaun Gissing said there are about five incidents a year where
people are hurt or buildings damaged when explosions and fires result
while people - many using recipes found on the Internet - try to make
hash oil by using flammable solvents to turn marijuana leaves into a
liquid cannabis resin.

And those, he said, are only the cases reported to cops, he said.

"I personally once spoke to a guy who had both corneas burned out of
his eyes," Gissing said.

"Again and again I've seen this blow up in the faces of people
involved ... I don't think people truly understand the danger."

Procee said the victims have yet to be interviewed to determine what
caused the explosion, but investigators have not ruled out
preliminary suspicions that one of them sparked the explosion when he
lit a cigarette.

The explosion was so violent it blew out the overhead door, ejecting
one of the victims out of the garage, Gissing said.

Nearly three kilograms of marijuana was seized from the garage.