W. VAN BLAST OPENS DOOR TO POT BUST

WEST Vancouver's British Properties neighbourhood was rocked by a
loud detonation Monday afternoon when a home housing a suspected
marijuana grow operation exploded.

The detonation, which happened in the 700-block of Andover Crescent,
left the two-storey wood framed house in ruins, and shattered windows
in two neighbouring homes.

One man was rushed to hospital with serious burns. He was listed in
stable condition.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, since the
explosion had left the home unsafe for fire investigators to enter.
At press time, West Vancouver police and fire departments were
waiting for an engineering report that would detail how to shore up
the home in order to allow entry.

In the meantime, West Vancouver police have obtained a search warrant
for the residence.

The explosion was a remarkably powerful one, said Captain Martin
Ernst, spokesman for the West Vancouver Fire and Rescue service.

"One south-facing wall literally blew out of the home and was lying
on the deck," he said. Another wall was bulging dangerously, and
glass had been thrown more than a hundred feet from the building.

"This was not a low-quality explosion, but something very, very
powerful," said Ernst.

Police estimate damage to the home at more than $100,000.

The injured man, described by police only as a 34-year-old Vancouver
resident, was conscious and distraught when paramedics arrived. He is
expected to survive, but his injuries were extremely severe.

"Unfortunately, I can say quite confidently that this gentleman will
have a long road to recovery," said Ernst.

No charges have been laid yet, but authorities are proceeding with an
investigation, said Const. Jeff Palmer, speaking for the West Vancouver police.

While investigators could not say for certain that the home had been
the site of a grow operation, a number of clues pointed in that
direction, said Palmer.

Marijuana plants were found in the debris around the building, and on
a brief walk through, Ernst found what appeared to be hydroponic
equipment, illegal wiring, and propane tanks, all of which point to
the possibility of a grow op.

"There was a kind of musty, skunky smell in the air as well," said
Ernst. "Definitely the home is not your average single-family home at
this point."

The explosion had apparently been followed by a flash fire, which
extinguished itself almost immediately upon ignition.

Grow ops are highly prone to accidents of this type, said Ernst. A
lot of growers use propane inside their homes to help improve
production. The fuel produces carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and
moisture when burned, all of which accelerate plant growth. Growers
also may use propane stoves to cook, because all the home's
electricity is being used for the hydroponics.

"In every manual and text you read about the dangers of grow
operations, explosions are usually number 2 or 3 in risk factors for
sure," said Ernst.

The (propane) gas, he said, stays close to the ground, increasing the
odds of a leak encountering a source of ignition. Since the gas
expands to 270 times its volume when released, the power of the
resulting blast can be staggering.

"Imagine a 20-pound barbecue tank," said Ernst. "You basically put
270 of those tanks in a circle and that's your blast radius. . . .
People underestimate the power of propane."

This accident just goes to show that the problem is one people should
take seriously, said Ernst.

"Any neighbour noticing blinds pulled all the time, noticing strange
activity at a home, tin foil and moisture over windows should give
their local police a call," he said.

"Grow operations get set up in very low-rent districts and they get
set up in very high-rent areas, but I think you can also say they get
set up anywhere these days, and people have to be aware.

"It doesn't matter how big or small it is, the products that are
being used inside can be dangerous," he said.