Two men were injured in a mobile home fire and explosion in Evergreen on Wednesday night, and officials suspect illegal drug activity to be the cause of the blaze.
According to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry, the Evergreen Fire Department responded to a fire call at 135 Flathead Drive at about 10 p.m. Upon arriving at the scene, fire officials reported seeing several people run from the scene.
Fire personnel also heard several explosions coming from the trailer and reported smelling a strange chemical odor. When investigators responded, they allegedly found an illegal marijuana-to-hashish conversion process taking place within the trailer.
“The investigation revealed that medical marijuana cardholders had allegedly been attempting to convert marijuana to hashish, a more potent and illegal form of the drug,” Curry wrote in a statement. “The marijuana is believed to have come from an on-site grow.”
The conversion process reportedly involves butane, and a fire and explosion ensued. The mobile home was a total loss.
Only two of the several adults present in the trailer were injured and taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center by ambulance.
A search warrant for the residence was obtained by members of the Northwest Drug Task Force and was served on Thursday morning. The Northwest Drug Task Force and the Evergreen Fire Department will continue investigating the incident.