Lakewood Police Say Illegal Activity Led To Shed Explosion
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Police say there was illegal activity going on in the shed before it exploded in Lakewood Saturday evening.
The explosion happened around 8:30 p.m. on the 1600 block of Ammons Street. The fire was put out shortly after first responders arrived.
Narcotic detectives say the shed wasn't a meth lab but some other kind of small drug lab. They had to bring in hazmat officials.
"Talking with the victims, the people involved with this, the ones who were able to talk all said it happened in an absolute instant," Lakewood police spokesman Ryan McKone said.
Police have yet to make any arrests.
No other structures were damaged as a result of the explosion and people weren't in any danger from the chemicals.
Three men who were there when the shed exploded were taken to the hospital. Another man who left the scene after the explosion walked into a local emergency room.
"All have varying degrees of injuries burn-related. Some of the burns are very, very serious," McKone said.
"He said his hand looked pretty bad. The skin had started to come off of it," neighbor Nick Retzlaff said.
Police say a lethal combination of drugs and chemicals triggered the explosion.
"We were told later it was absolutely not meth," Retzlaff said.
"Any time you mix chemicals with anything, and you're doing it in a not properly ventilated laboratory-type setting, no matter what it is, you are posting a huge risk to yourself as well as others," McKone said.
Neighbors want to know exactly what types of drugs were being cooked in the shed, but police say they will not elaborate on the types of drugs and chemicals used due to the continuing investigation.
