Police investigate after honey oil lab found in burning Santa Ana building
Firefighters found a honey oil manufacturing operation while tackling a blaze at a commercial building in Santa Ana on Friday, August 2, and authorities are investigating whether it was an illegal drug lab.
The fire was reported at about 12:09 p.m., on the 2010 block of Main St., Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. It swept through the front office of a building, but crews managed to keep flames spreading to the second floor, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Jon Muir. It took 35 firefighters about 23 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
No injuries were reported, and nobody was found inside, Muir said. However, firefighters encountered what appeared to be a drug lab while trying to douse the building, Bertagna said.
“The sign out front said it was a tax business, but when we got inside we found some type of operation,” Muir said. “[Investigators] confirmed that it was some type of honey oil operation.”
[SANTA ANA] Earlier this afternoon, #OCFA responded to the Fire on Main Street. After knock-down, we noticed an elaborate #HoneyOil operation. We notified Santa Ana PD, #OCSD Bomb Squad, #OCHealthHazmat, and The #OCClandestineLaboratoryInvestigationsUnit (Under Investigation) pic.twitter.com/5VptAnmNJQ
— OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) August 3, 2019
The equipment found appeared to have been used as part of an illegal laboratory to produce honey oil, a potent extract of marijuana, Bertagna said. The manufactured substance contains high quantities of Tetrahydrocannabinol, which has some medicinal properties, but is commonly used for recreation. Explosive chemicals are often involved in the process of making the drug.
Orange County Sheriff’s bomb squad and hazardous materials teams were dispatched to investigate. Santa Ana police evacuated all residents within 300 feet of the site of the fire and told people to avoid the area.
Both directions of Main Street were shut down between St. Andrew Place and St. Gertrude Place, while authorities checked to make sure the area was safe and searched for clues. It was not immediately clear how long it would stay closed, or when residents might be able to return home.