Butane Hash Oil (BHO) Fires

2/26/2014
Version: February 19, 2014
Butane Hash Oil
(BHO) Fires
Lee Wilding
Fire Investigator
Fresno Fire Department
Experience
• Certifications
o Investigator II, CSFM
o Certified Fire Investigator (CFI), IAAI
• Employment (Fresno Fire Department)
o 3 years firefighter
o 7 years firefighter specialist/fire investigator
• Investigation Experience
o Involved in 450 fire investigations
o 7 BHO fire investigations
• FFD Investigations Unit
o Handles an average of 400 investigations annually
o 12 BHO incidents since November of 2012
L. Wilding, Fire Investigator
Hash Oil
Also known as:
o Honey Oil
o Weed Oil
o Dabs
o Concentrate
o Ear wax
o Amber Glass
o Shatter
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What is Hash Oil?
Wikipedia:
o Hash oil is a resinous matrix of cannabinoids
obtained from the cannabis plant by solvent
extraction.
• The solvent is removed after the extraction
o Final Product is pliable and waxy substance
similar to caramel and honey
Not a New Development
o Hash oil extraction is not a recent development.
Instructional literature dates back to the mid
1990’s
• However for reasons unknown, there has been
a spike in production/use & associated
fires/explosions
Not to be confused with
“Hashish”
o Hashis (AKA Hash)
• Hash is made from resin glands, called
“trichomes”, collected from the buds of the
female cannabis plant.
• Removed mechanically or fall off
• Same as “Kief”
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Hash
Hash Oil
o Hash oil is a resinous matrix of
cannabinoids obtained by solvent
extraction
• Trichomes have a waxy membrane
• Solvent is used to break down the membrane,
removing Concentrated THC, in the form of an
“oil”
• Thus term “concentrate”
Hash Oil
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Consumption of Hash Oil
o Usually consumed by smoking or vaporizing
• Smoking
o Placed on pipe by itself
o Used to lace other drugs
• Vaporizing
o “Dabs” are placed on smoking device and
a super heated titanium rod is placed onto
the dab
o Nearly 100% consumption with little residue
Titanium Hash Oil
Vaporizor
THC Levels
o Marijuana “buds”
• Up to 5% (1 to 3% Average)
o Hash Oil
• Can exceed 60%
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Street Value
o The “street value” of hash oil is
approximately $40 to $60 per gram
One Gram
Hash Oil Manufacturing
• Hash oil is a cannabis product, obtained by
separating resins/oils from cannabis by solvent
extraction.
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Hash Oil Manufacturing
• Methods of extraction (Using Solvents)
o Solvent Reduced: Made by soaking plant material for a
certain amount of time in the chemical of choice, usually
acetone or alcohol based solvent.
o Butane Hash Oil (BHO): Made by passing butane gas
through a tube filled with cannabis plant matter.
o CO2 (in tank under pressure: Made just like the butane
process, but using co2
B.H.O. Manufacturing
• The most common form of Hash Oil is
“Butane Hash Oil” or “B.H.O.”
• Made by passing butane gas through a
tube or “extractor” filled with cannabis plant
matter.
o Butane acts as a solvent, breaking down the
Trichomes waxy membrane & extracting the oils.
B.H.O. Manufacturing
• Trichomes are the THC-producing resin
glands of the cannabis plant.
o Butane acts as a solvent, breaking down the
trichomes waxy membrane & extracting the oils.
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Cannabis Trichomes
B.H.O. Manufacturing
• As the liquid butane passes through the
container filled with cannabis, the butane,
acting as a solvent, breaks down the
Trichomes waxy membrane and strips out
the concentrated TCH.
Manufacturing “How to’s”
• It’s not hard to become a backyard chemist
o YouTube has a plethora of hash oil
manufacturing “how to” videos.
o Internet/website articles & publications
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B.H.O. Manufacturing
Process (YouTube Video)
B.H.O. Manufacturing
Process (YouTube Video)
B.H.O. Manufacturing
• Manufacturing tools needed:
o Cannabis plant matter
• Usually ground up “shake” or “trim”
• Can use buds or hash/kief for higher yield
o Extractor (Container for plant matter)
• PVC or steel pipe, glass tube, plastic bottle, etc.
o Pan/container to collect BHO mixture
• Usually a Pyrex dish
o Butane cans
• Approx $4 to $5 per 8 oz. can
o Razor blade or similar tool to collect product
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Cannabis from BHO
Scene
Cannabis from BHO
Scene
Cannabis from BHO
Scene
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Extractors
• Home made extractors can resemble pipe bombs
in construction
• Hole drilled in end cap can be suspect as a fuse
entry location
• Consider safety, there is no way of determining
what it is by it’s outward appearance.
o If it is a pipe bomb, simply unscrewing to top to check the
contents can activate it
Extractors
Extractors Continued
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Extractors Continued
Extractors Continued
Glass Extractors
Extractors Continued
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Extractors Continued
Glass Extractors
Extractor’s Continued
Extractor’s Continued
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Extractor’s Continued
Hole Drilled in End Cap
Container (Pyrex Dish)
Container
Usually a Pyrex Dish
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BHO Fire Scene
BHO Fire Scene
BHO Fire Scene
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Butane
BHO Fire Scene
BHO Fire Scene
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BHO Fire Scene
B.H.O. Manufacturing
• Supplementary tools
o May or may not be used:
• Air compressor
o Used to pressurize extractor to push out butane/oil mixture
• Electric hot plate
o Used to heat product to speed up butane purging
process
• Vacuum pump
o Used to create negative pressure in container, to speed
up butane purging process
Vacuum Pump
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Electric Hot Plate
Associated Dangers
• Explosion: Butane fuel is a highly flammable
gas (at room temp)
• This process involves emptying the butane
from at least one full can of butane.
o Often multiple cans are used
Associated Dangers
• Most YouTube “how to” videos and
publication articles explicitly state the
associated dangers…
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Associated Dangers
• Butane vapors evaporate continually
through the purging process
• Confined spaces prevent vapors from
Escaping
o Also vapors are heavier than air (vapor density=
2.0) and collect in low lying areas
Butane Chemical
Properties
o Colorless with negligible odor, usually odorized by
Methyl Mercaptan or sulfur compounds.
o Low Boiling Point (30-34° F)
o Vapor density of about 2.0
• Tends to form a low lying cloud (invisible)
o Very flammable, (will ignite between 1.9% and
8.5 %)
o Ignition temperature between 900° and 1000° F
(Per NFPA 921)
Ignition Sources
• Fuel gases are easily ignited by most
commonly found ignition sources:
o
o
o
o
Open flames of pilot lights
Static electricity
Electrical spark or arc from appliance
Motorized Equipment used in BTO extraction:
• Electric Fan used to ventilate room
• Vacuum pump used to purge butane
• Pressure pump to assist pushing butane through
extractor
• Hot plate or heating device
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Ignition Source
Ignition
• Ignition in an open environment
o Butane vapors will most likely flash, and
immediately self extinguish.
o If combustible materials, including clothing, are
saturated with butane vapors, the materials may
continue to burn after flash has occurred.
o Involved person(s) may receive flash burns
Ignition
• Ignition in an enclosed space/structure
o Depending on the concentration of butane in
the air, and the size of the enclosure/room, an
explosion may occur.
o Often the explosion will result in a pressure wave
forceful enough to displace objects and break
out windows.
• Look for clean fragmented glass blown away
from window opening
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Result
Result
Result
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Result
Result
Result
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Result
Result
Result
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Result
Result
Result
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Result
Result
Result
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Result
Result
Result
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Result
Result
Result
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Some Potential Associated
Charges
• Cal. Penal Code 452
o 452(a): Unlawful fire resulting in great bodily injury
o 452(b): unlawful fire causing damage to an inhabited
structure
o 452(c): unlawful fire causing damage to a structure or
forest land
o 452(d): unlawful fire causing damage to property
• H&S Code 11379.6(a): Manufacturing
• PC 273(d), child endangerment
Unlawfully Ignited Fire
• If you’re going to pursue a PC 452 charge,
you must first establish:
o Did a fire occur?
o Was any part of the structure, forest land, or
property, burned/damaged by the fire?
• Does not include broken glass…
o Does this structure, property or forest land belong
to somebody other than suspect (victim)?
o Is the victim willing to press charges?
Unlawfully Ignited Fire
• In order to convict subject of an unlawful
fire, you must then prove that the fire was in
fact, “unlawful”.
• Definition of unlawful fire:
o A person is guilty of unlawfully causing a fire
when he recklessly sets fire to or burns or causes
to be burned, any structure, forest land or
property. (California Penal Code 2013 Ed.)
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Proving an Unlawful Fire
• California Criminal Jury Instructions
• Jury Instruction #1530, Unlawfully Causing a
Fire
o To prove that the defendant is guilty of this crime, the
People must prove that:
• 1- The defendant set fire to or caused the burning of
(structure/forest land/property);
&
• 2- The defendant dis so recklessly
Recklessness
• Defined
o Recklessness, general definition:
• A person acts recklessly when (1) he or she is
aware that his or her actions present a
substantial and unjustifiable risk of causing a
fire, (2) he or she ignores that risk, and (3)
ignoring the risk is a gross deviation from what
a reasonable person would have done in the
same situation. (Calcrim Jury Instruction #1530)
Establishing Recklessness
• Consider the following Interview Questions:
o Did you know that butane is an ignitable material?
o Are you aware that that using butane in an enclosed
space could cause an explosive environment?
o Did you have any of the doors and/or windows open to
ventilate the butane?
• (shows mind set of subject, being aware that butane is
hazardous)
o Did you know you were putting yourself and others at risk
by doing this?
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Great Bodily Injury
• Great bodily injury defined:
o Significant or substantial physical injury. It is an
injury that is greater than minor or moderate
harm (Calcrim Jury Instruction 3160).
• In order to charge the subject with 452(a),
the fire must cause “great bodily injury” to
another person.
Great Bodily Injury
• If the fire does NOT cause damage to any
structure/forest land/property, but DOES
cause “great bodily injury” to a person (who
does not die), then PC 452 does not apply.
o Fire must have caused burn damage to a
structure, forest land or property.
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No Damage to Structure
Health & Safety Code
• H&S Code 11379.6(a)
o Manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing,
deriving, processing or preparing by chemical extraction or
independently by means of chemical synthesis
enumerated controlled substances
• Per DA, Need to recover the hash oil in order
to prove this charge.
Scene Investigation
Resources
• FIST
o FIST K9
•
•
•
•
•
Local L.E.
H.I.D.T.A.
ATF
DOJ
Local Utilities (PG&E)
o Rule out gas leaks
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Warrantless Vs. Warrant
Arrest
• Warrantless
o Consider flight risk and/or ability to find involved
individual(s)
o Is this subject a danger to public?
o Is subject on parole/probation?
o Wants or warrants?
o Burn injuries?
• Jail will not except inmate with Burn injuries
(untreated)
Warrantless Vs. Warrant
Arrest
• Warrant Arrest
o No time crunch
o Time to process evidence, interviews, research,
any follow-up infestation
o Gives officer time to shore up and present
strongest possible case to DA.
Contact Info
Investigator Lee Wilding
Fresno Fire Department
Office: (559) 621-4443
Cell: (559) 419-1579
Email: leland.wilding@fresno.gov
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The End
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