Man hurt in early morning explosion at Rosemead house

A man was rushed to a local hospital after he was injured in an explosion early Wednesday while reportedly making hash oil in Rosemead.

The blast occurred just after 1 a.m. in the 8000 block of Emerson Place, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Dexter.

The first deputies to arrive at the scene found a burned-down shed, damaged fence and scorched brush. Five homes nearby were evacuated. The man has not been taken into custody and the investigation is ongoing, Dexter said.

NBC Los Angeles reported the man was making “hash oil” at the time of the explosion. If confirmed, it would be the latest in a series of hash oil-related production facilities uncovered in the region this year, some of which also have led to explosions.

Also known as “butane honey oil,” the waxy substance can produce an even stronger high for users, who can inhale or vaporize the oil without the strong odor of marijuana.

Hash oil has become increasingly popular among users, prompting some novices to attempt to make it in their homes.

In April, a suspected hash oil lab in a home in Malibu caught fire and exploded, injuring one person. And in March, two men suspected of operating a similar laboratory were burned in an explosion in the city of Commerce.