medpot
07-25-2011, 01:37 PM
The Brantford Expositor (http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3228491)
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Monday, July 25, 2011
Police issued public advisory worth repeating
By Vincent Ball
Police already issued a public advisory after a large number of clandestine drug lab containers were found at two local sites on Friday.
In doing so, police, backed by Mayor Chris Friel, called on people to be vigilant and to report to police any activity that would suggest the existence of a drug lab.
Given the dangers of both the discarded containers and the drug labs, this is an advisory worth repeating.
These labs are dangerous to both police and firefighters as well as to neighbourhoods. Innocent people can be badly injured by illegal drug labs and if you think it can't happen in Brantford, think again.
Less than two years ago there was a house explosion at a Duke Street home that contained several apartments. One of the apartments was being used as a cannabis resin drug lab.
The home sustained heavy damage to a rear wall as well as a sidewall of the apartment, which was located at the side and rear of a multi-unit building. ?At the time police said two men in the apartment were heating chemicals for the production of cannabis resin when the explosion occurred.
Fortunately no one was seriously injured as a result of the blast.
"They are very, very lucky," Mike Owens, a fire investigator with the Office of the Fire Marshal, said in an interview with The Expositor after the explosion. "People have died in these types of incidents and people have sustained very serious injuries. These residents were extremely fortunate."
Typically, people try to extract the oil or resin from a marijuana plant to produce hash oil and in some cases they use butane gas, Owens said. ?"But the average person doesn't understand the volatility of butane," Owens said. "It can be ignited just like that by someone smoking a cigarette or even a light switch." ?"When you're indoors, it's even more dangerous because it's enclosed." ?A lot of butane is needed to extract oil from a marijuana plant, which makes the whole process even more dangerous, he added.
So, no one was seriously injured in that particular explosion. But what if there had been children in the area? What if a letter carrier or someone checking the meters happened to be walking up the driveway when the home exploded?
So yes, it has happened in Brantford and given Friday's discovery we should all be just a little bit more aware of what's going on in our neighbourhoods.
The discarded drug lab containers found by city officials and police on Friday were, in all likelihood, being used in the production of crystal meth or ecstasy. The chemicals used in the process are volatile, extremely dangerous.
So, keep your head up and your eyes and ears open.
And if you see anything suspicious call the Brantford police street crimes unit at 519-756-0113 ext. 2286 or Crime Stoppers a 519-750-8477.
Article ID# 3228491
Send a letter to the Editor (http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Police issued public advisory worth repeating
By Vincent Ball
Police already issued a public advisory after a large number of clandestine drug lab containers were found at two local sites on Friday.
In doing so, police, backed by Mayor Chris Friel, called on people to be vigilant and to report to police any activity that would suggest the existence of a drug lab.
Given the dangers of both the discarded containers and the drug labs, this is an advisory worth repeating.
These labs are dangerous to both police and firefighters as well as to neighbourhoods. Innocent people can be badly injured by illegal drug labs and if you think it can't happen in Brantford, think again.
Less than two years ago there was a house explosion at a Duke Street home that contained several apartments. One of the apartments was being used as a cannabis resin drug lab.
The home sustained heavy damage to a rear wall as well as a sidewall of the apartment, which was located at the side and rear of a multi-unit building. ?At the time police said two men in the apartment were heating chemicals for the production of cannabis resin when the explosion occurred.
Fortunately no one was seriously injured as a result of the blast.
"They are very, very lucky," Mike Owens, a fire investigator with the Office of the Fire Marshal, said in an interview with The Expositor after the explosion. "People have died in these types of incidents and people have sustained very serious injuries. These residents were extremely fortunate."
Typically, people try to extract the oil or resin from a marijuana plant to produce hash oil and in some cases they use butane gas, Owens said. ?"But the average person doesn't understand the volatility of butane," Owens said. "It can be ignited just like that by someone smoking a cigarette or even a light switch." ?"When you're indoors, it's even more dangerous because it's enclosed." ?A lot of butane is needed to extract oil from a marijuana plant, which makes the whole process even more dangerous, he added.
So, no one was seriously injured in that particular explosion. But what if there had been children in the area? What if a letter carrier or someone checking the meters happened to be walking up the driveway when the home exploded?
So yes, it has happened in Brantford and given Friday's discovery we should all be just a little bit more aware of what's going on in our neighbourhoods.
The discarded drug lab containers found by city officials and police on Friday were, in all likelihood, being used in the production of crystal meth or ecstasy. The chemicals used in the process are volatile, extremely dangerous.
So, keep your head up and your eyes and ears open.
And if you see anything suspicious call the Brantford police street crimes unit at 519-756-0113 ext. 2286 or Crime Stoppers a 519-750-8477.
Article ID# 3228491