SUSPECTED DRUG LAB ROCKED BY EXPLOSION

Residents of a Duke Street home that contains several apartments are
extremely fortunate to have escaped a Wednesday afternoon home
explosion without serious injury, says an investigator with the
Ontario Fire Marshal's office.

"They are very, very lucky," Mike Owens, a fire investigator with the
Office of the Fire Marshal, said Thursday. "People have died in these
types of incidents and people have sustained very serious injuries.
"These residents were extremely fortunate."

The explosion occurred at 2: 20 p. m. Wednesday and is being
investigated by police and the Ontario Fire Marshal's office.
Investigators suspect [redacted] was being used as a cannabis
resin drug lab.

Police obtained a search warrant and were waiting for the building to
be made secure before entering the apartment.

There were two people in the residence and one suffered minor
injuries in the explosion, police said.

One neighbour was dealing with a water problem in his basement when
the explosion occurred.

"I was carrying a bucket of water upstairs and I heard this ba-boom,"
said the man, who wouldn't provide his name. "I saw glass flying out
of the window and I went in to see if anyone was still in there.

"I saw my buddy in the backyard and he was in a bit of a daze."

However, the man didn't appear to have any serious injuries, the
neighbour said.

The explosion occurred between 2 and 2:30 p. m., the neighbour said.

Police and the Ontario Fire Marshal's office were continuing their
investigation on Thursday after workers secured the building.

The building sustained heavy damage to a rear wall as well as a side
wall of the apartment, which is located at the side and rear of a
multi-unit building.

Police say the two men were in the apartment were heating chemicals
for the production of cannabis resin when the explosion occurred.
Both people were out of the house immediately after the explosion and
while one remained near the apartment, the other fled the scene, police said.

It is the first time investigators could recall such an incident in Brantford.

However, such explosions have occurred in other jurisdictions and
pose a serious threat to the people trying to produce the cannabis
resin and those who live near them.

Typically, people are trying to extract the oil or resin from a
marijuana plant to produce hash oil and in some cases they use butane
gas, Owens said.

"But the average person doesn't understand the volatility of butane,"
Owens said. "It can be ignited just like that by someone smoking a
cigarette or even a light switch."

"When you're indoors, it's even more dangerous because it's enclosed."

A lot of butane is needed to extract oil from a marijuana plant,
which makes the whole process even more dangerous, he added.

Even websites on the Internet which explain the process say it should
be done outdoors and say using butane can result in serious injury or death.

Police have charged [redacted]
with production of cannabis marijuana, arson by negligence and
criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the
police street crimes unit at 519-756-0113 ext. 2286 or Crime Stoppers
at 519-750-8477.