MEDIA RELEASE

Title: Butane Hash Oil Fire in Radford

Date of Release: Thursday, November, 21, 2013

Time of Release: 3:25p.m.

Incident Location: 307 Fourth Avenue, Radford, Va.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 11:13 p.m. officers with the Radford City Police Department and members of the Radford Fire Department responded to the area of 307 Fourth Avenue in reference to a possible structure fire at that location. Upon arrival, officers found smoke coming from the residence. Officers cleared the house to make sure there was no one in the dwelling and found the smoke coming from the kitchen.

During the initial clearing of the house an officer noticed numerous cans of Butane lying on the floor of the kitchen, as well as drug paraphernalia in two of the bedrooms. The preliminary investigation revealed a Butane Hash Oil lab, which ignited and caused the explosion and subsequent fire.

Four individuals were removed from the residence, one seriously injured. A 20 year old male had severe burns. This individual was transported to the New River Valley Medical Center and was flown to the Baptist Hospitals Burn Unit at Wake Forest. His condition at this point is unknown.

The agencies involved in this incident include the Radford Fire Department, who was on scene and extinguished the fire, Carilion Emergency Medical Services, who transported the individual to the New River Valley Medical Center, as well as investigators with the Radford City Police Department and members of the Claytor Lake Regional Drug Task Force, who executed a search warrant at the residence, 307 Fourth Avenue, on Thursday, November 21, 2013

This case is active and still under investigation. Radford City Police are not releasing any names and no one has been charged at this point.