By Hunter Lee
The Whittier Daily News
IRWINDALE, Calif. — A fire at an Irwindale warehouse that left four men dead on Monday, Oct. 9, is believed by authorities to have been caused by an explosion of butane gas that was being used in a honey oil extraction lab.
Firefighters received calls Monday about the warehouse fire in the 1400 block of Arrow Highway, including one caller who said they saw a man fully engulfed in flames exiting the structure, according to the Irwindale Police Department.
After the fire was extinguished, authorities found the charred remains of three men inside the warehouse, police said. The fourth victim, who was referenced in the call, was found near the warehouse and taken to a hospital, where he died.
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The victims had not been identified on Thursday, pending identification from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Butane is a chemical that is used in the extraction of the “honey oil,” also known as “butane hash oil,” from cannabis plants. The chemical poses an explosion hazard because of its highly flammable nature, and can cause a dangerous fire when its vapors are either ignited from heat, a spark, open flame.
An investigation was launched and is being handled by an outside law enforcement task force because of the suspicious nature of the fire, police said.
Anyone with information on the fire should contact Detective Nicholas Lopez with the Irwindale Police Department’s Detective Bureau by calling 626-430-2239, or by email at nlopez@irwindaleca.gov
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