Firefighters were called to a house in South Lake Tahoe after receiving numerous reports of explosions there and a fire that was posing an immediate threat to the surrounding homes.
Officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department joined fire crews as they arrived at a house in the 1300 block of Kyburz Avenue at around 5:30 p.m. on Friday to find the structure and a shed behind it engulfed in flames. Firefighters from neighboring departments were also called in to assist in extinguishing the fire.
As crews tried to contain the blaze, there were multiple explosions as heat and flames ignited butane canisters inside the shed and sent them flying through the air toward other nearby structures.
Crews were able to establish a perimeter and quickly put out the fire, though the neighboring Emerald Bay Inn temporarily evacuated guests as flames reportedly reached the eaves of the building at one point. There were no injuries reported.
Once firefighters extinguished the blaze, investigators discovered a butane hash oil lab which had been the source of the explosions.
Police arrested 37-year-old South Lake Tahoe resident Joe Johnson on felony charges of manufacturing a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge of obstruction. Johnson was able to post bail, but the department expects to make more arrests as their investigation continues.
