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Investigators open criminal probe into LA explosion

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Posted at 11:26 PM, May 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-18 02:26:50-04

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police and fire investigators have launched a criminal probe into the cause of an explosion at a hash oil manufacturer in Los Angeles that injured a dozen firefighters.

They are trying to determine what might have sparked the blast that shot a ball of flames out of the downtown building Saturday and sent crews running for their lives.

Eight firefighters remained hospitalized Sunday: two were in critical condition, but all are expected to survive.

A fire captain described the business where the explosion occurred as a maker of “butane honey oil.”

Butane is an odorless gas that is used to extract the chemical THC from cannabis to create a highly potent oil.