Denver Firefighters investigate a home explosion at 1356 S. Logan on Nov. 5, 2015. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

Denver home explosion tied to basement butane hash oil extraction

Firefighters have confirmed that an explosion and fire in the basement of a Denver duplex was marijuana related.

“The cause of the fire was a butane explosion,’ said Denver Fire spokeswoman Melissa Taylor. “Butane is used in hash oil extraction.”

The explosion happened at 7:45 p.m. in the basement of a duplex at 1365 S. Logan St. By 8:15 p.m., the fire was out but firefighters and police remained on the scene.

Taylor said one person was in the house at the time of the blast and that person was in police custody and being questioned.

She said there was a strong odor of marijuana in the air when firefighters arrived. However, no hash oil was found in the home after the explosion.

Firefighters did find marijuana clippings in the basement.

“The building at this point is uninhabitable,” Taylor said. “It will likely be condemned.”

Police closed Logan Street in both directions between Louisiana and Arkansas avenues during the investigation. Police said there were no reported injuries.

Taylor said there were no marijuana plants growing in the home, but it appeared that marijuana was processed in the basement.

Denver police are investigating possible crimes.

Sarah Mudry, who lives across the street from the one-story, single-family home, said the blast shattered a quiet evening.

“It sounded like thunder,” she said.

She went outside and saw “a window blown out and fire on the grass.” Mudry called the whole situation “a little weird.”

As firefighters were rolling up hoses, another woman who lives next door swept debris from her sidewalk.

The one-story brick home was heavily damaged and is not structurally sound after the blast, Taylor said.

Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, kmitchell@denverpost.com or @kirkmitchell or denverpost.com/coldcases

This story was first published on DenverPost.com