BURNS CLAIM TEEN

Fire Started After Teens Attempted To Make Hash Oil From Pot

An 18-year-old male has passed away from injuries following a fire at
a Chilliwack apartment on the weekend. Police now believe the fire
started while the victim was cooking hash oil inside the apartment.

Fire crews and police were called to the 45600 block of McIntosh
Drive about 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, following reports of an explosion.
When they arrived they found the male victim outside the apartment
complex suffering from serious burns.

Fire crews found the fire on the main floor and extinguished it
quickly. One room suffered extensive fire and smoke damage, while
other parts of the building had smoke damage. An apartment above also
sustained some fire damage.

The victim received burns to more than 40 per cent of his body,
especially on his arms and legs. Assistant fire chief Ian Josephson
spoke to the victim's mother at the time, and they were hopeful about
getting him into the burn unit at Vancouver General Hospital for grafting.

The male was given first aid at the scene and was airlifted to Royal
Jubilee Hospital in Victoria but passed away late on Monday.

"It's our first fire-related death in just about a year," Josephson said.

Police are not releasing the victim's name at the request of the
family. Meanwhile, Chilliwack RCMP are continuing their investigation
and trying to assist the B.C. Coroners Office.

There were three other people in the apartment at the time of the
explosion but no one was injured.

"We're also in the process of trying to identify three other
individuals in the apartment, two of whom we've identified,"
Chilliwack RCMP Const. Lea-Anne Dunlop said.

Chilliwack RCMP executed a search warrant at the apartment at about 8
p.m. on Saturday and found marijuana shake, isopropyl alcohol and
butane containers, along with score sheets, marijuana bud and various
weapons. Police think the explosion started from a reaction that
occurred while the victim was using flammable substances to produce
hash oil from marijuana.

The Chilliwack Fire Department warns the public this process can be
dangerous because it requires liquids such as acetones and heat from
small stoves or propane burners, which can prove to be a bad mix.

"It can be dangerous because you're dealing with a flammable liquid,"
Josephson said. "Obviously, you're dealing with a lot of combustibles."