An O.C. motel room exploded. Police think it may have been a drug lab

Authorities are investigating whether a Buena Park motel room was being used as a drug lab after an explosion early Wednesday forced guests to evacuate.

The blast was reported shortly after midnight at the Motel 6 at 7051 Valley View St., according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Nothing was burning when crews arrived, but video from the scene showed smoke seeping into the hallway.

Buena Park police are investigating whether the space was being used as a drug lab, according to fire officials. Police could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Caesar Hernandez told reporters at the scene that he was inside his room at the motel with his wife and children when he heard a loud bang, followed by a crashing sound that he thought may have been someone falling down the stairs.

When he looked into the hallway, he saw a naked woman and two men. Hernandez said it appeared the blast had sent the woman through a window. One of the men handed the woman a towel and they ran away, he said.

After the trio ran off, Hernandez said he went into the room and put out a small fire.

“I could smell the chemicals, so I threw my shirt on over my face,” he told reporters at the scene. “The curtain was real wet from the sprinkler, so I ripped off the curtain … and threw that over the fire, stomped the rest of it out and then I exited because I didn’t want to take too much of that chemical in.”

Video footage from the scene showed motel guests being evaluated by fire officials in the parking lot. No one was injured in the incident, according to the fire authority.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry