A Truckee house exploded during a butane honey oil extraction process on Wednesday afternoon.
Douglas Hall, 54, was trying to extract THC from marijuana when fumes from the butane ignited at the water heater, Truckee police Sgt. Robert Womack said. Hall suffered burns to his face and hands.
Womack said Hall's girlfriend and their 5-year-old daughter were home at the time of the explosion. The little girl was not injured in the explosion. The girlfriend suffered minor burns to her hands as she tried to put out the fire.
During a search of the home, Truckee police found 1,000 empty cans of butane, several pounds of marijuana waiting to be processed and finished honey oil with a street value of $1,200 to $1,500.
Honey oil, or hash, is highly concentrated cannabis with high THC (the key psychoactive substance) content. Womack said Hall admitted he was processing honey oil to sell to cannabis clubs in San Francisco.
Hall was booked into at the Wayne Brown Facility in Nevada City for possession of concentrated cannabis, manufacturing controlled substances with chemicals, and felony child endangerment.
Womack said the child is currently in the custody of the girlfriend. The Nevada County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case and will determine if the girlfriend should be also charged in the case.
