Police say fire that damaged Novato house started in hash oil lab

Police in Novato on Monday afternoon confirmed that a house fire on Sunday was accidentally started by a resident as he was allegedly making butane hash oil.

According to a Novato Police Department post on Facebook , at around noon Sunday, Novato police officers and members of the Novato Fire Protection District responded to a report of a structure fire at a home on Yukon Way. Police were preparing to evacuate neighboring homes when Novato Fire personnel were able to extinguish the flames. The fire was contained to one residence and did not spread to nearby residences, according to police.

As they were fighting the fire, investigators spotted evidence of a lab for manufacturing butane hash oil. Butane hash oil (BHO) is a form of concentrated cannabis derived from marijuana plants. The extraction of the oil is a serious fire hazard and can be exceptionally dangerous, authorities said.

Police gathered evidence and spoke with the resident, who was identified as 42-year-old Brendan Hummel. Officers determined Hummel inadvertently started the fire while manufacturing BHO. Police enlisted assistance from the Marin County Sheriff's Office Specialized Investigative Unit (SIU) due to their extensive training with such incidents.

Authorities said Hummel was treated for a minor injury and was released to the custody of Novato Police, who arrested and booked him into the Marin County Jail for manufacturing a controlled substance and recklessly starting a fire. Police asked Novato residents who see a crime occurring or active flames to call 9-1-1 immediately. Suspicious behavior can be reported to Novato Police by calling 415-897-4361 or filing a report online at novato.org/reportacrime.