Sheriff: Marijuana lab may be behind Willits lodge explosion, fire

An explosion in an illegal marijuana hash oil lab inside a rented room at a longstanding Willits-area lodge late Sunday night injured two people, one of whom suffered significant burns, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Lt. Darren Brewster said.

Explosions and flames were reported about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the Brooktrails Lodge. The lodge is a longtime resort set in redwoods near Willits with several short- and long-term apartments and rooms.

Hundreds of butane cannisters were in the small 12-by-24-foot apartment that housed a cannabis honey oil lab, Brewster said.

A man and a woman inside the apartment were injured, he said, and both may be suspects in a criminal case once they recover from their wounds.

A family of five in a neighboring apartment, including three children, narrowly escaped injuries before flames engulfed their home, Brewster said.

He said four apartments, five cars and an RV were destroyed in the incident, but the main banquet and bar facility at Brooktrails Lodge was undamaged.

The two injured in the explosion were taken to Howard Hospital in Willits, the lieutenant said; the man later was transported to a burn center at the UC Davis Medical Center.

Hash oil labs are a concern in Mendocino County, Brewster said, because butane, which is commonly used in production, is highly volatile and can ignite at low temperatures.

“This is the issue we have and it’s going to get worse because people think it’s legal,” Brewster said. “There was a family of five that could have easily been killed. They’re lucky they got out at all.”

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport. You can reach Staff Writer Nick Rahaim at 707-521-5203 or nick.rahaim@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nrahaim.