On May 16, an explosion erupted during a fire in downtown Los Angeles, the incident left eleven firefighters injured and four of them are critical, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Cause of explosion
The medical director of LAFD, Marc Eckstein, said that all eleven firefighters suffered burns that are ranging from minor to serious. They were immediately rushed to the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Four of the firefighters are currently in intensive care burn units, while two of them are on ventilators.
The LAFD said that during their initial assessment of the damage, they found that the business where the explosion happened is from a wholesaler of products that are used to make concentrated cannabis. Making concentrated cannabis is a process that requires using butane that is highly flammable.
The business is a supplier for shops who makes butane honey oil, the business is named Smoke Tokes Wholesale Distributor. According to Chief Ralph Terrazas, the building has butane inside, and butane canisters are also out on the street.
Aside from butane honey oil, vitamin E acetate is also sold in the area where the incident took place. The place is known to have vape supply stores.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted on May 16: "My thoughts are with our brave @LAFD firefighters. Closely tracking this situation as we continue to get more information." Los Angeles Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted: "Grateful for the brave firefighters and first responders on the scene battling these flames tonight."
According to the fire department, the report of a fire was recorded around 6:26 p.m on May 16. Just moments after the firefighters arrived, an explosion happened. Terrazas said that the smoke pressure was rapidly escalating and the heat in the building was increasing so he told the first responders to retreat. A witness at the scene described everything in detail to officials.
According to Terrazas, the coats of the firefighters were already on fire when they came down the aerial ladder from the roof of the building.
One witness, a 43-year-old woman named Pamela Sisson, said she was on her way home in the Arts District, which is near where the explosion happened, and she spotted the fire and captured the video on her phone. She added that ash was coming down, making the area extremely dangerous to be around in.
In less than two hours, the fire in the building was completely put out. The building is full of butane and it triggered the explosion, and the fire department will investigate the cause of the fire.
Dangers of butane
Butane is known as a very flammable gas and it creates an explosion hazard. It can also cause a fire when the vapors are ignited from a spark, heat, or if there is an open flame. Since butane is used in the production of some products, it is often in confined spaces, making it highly likely to explode if ignited by electricity or a simple spark.
Most cannabis shops use butane because it can help extract the oil from the plants. Liquid butane is passed through the cannabis plant and it extracts THC, and it is passed through a filter. Because of this process, a potent and concentrated product is produced in the form of "honeycomb," "oil," "wax," "shatter," or "dabs" and they are related to the production of vape pens or edibles.
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