Fire official: Man suffers burns after suspected hash oil explosion

A man remains hospitalized after suffering burns from an explosion that fire officials suspect was caused by an attempt to extract hash oil at his Hazel Dell apartment Saturday.

Firefighters with Clark County Fire District 6 were called to The Ridge Apartments, 6208 N.E. 17th Ave., at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday for the reported blaze.

A 40-year-old man lit a cigarette that exploded some butane and propane vapors, Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Young said.

The vapors were suspected to have come from the marijuana extraction process used to produce hash oil, Young said.

The fire was put out by sprinklers, Young said.

The man involved in the explosion suffered burns to his face and hands and remains intubated and sedated at the burn center at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Young said.

Young said he still hasn’t been able to talk to the man, but witnesses provided information on what happened.

The man’s apartment and the apartment below were damaged by water, Young said, causing an estimated $40,000 in damage to the structure.

The American Red Cross reported it assisted one adult and two children who were affected by the fire.