West Hills house fire possibly caused by drug lab explosion

WEST HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The roof of a two-story home in West Hills collapsed as firefighters fought off flames caused by a possible drug lab explosion Saturday night.

The fire was reported shortly after 9 p.m. at a single-family home in the 6500 block of Northern Ellenview Avenue. Charged electrical lines may have fallen down on the house, Los Angeles fire officials said.

Neighbors reported hearing four or five explosions as the fire broke out.

"We heard this tremendous explosion, and then we hear another boom. Then it sounded like fireworks going off. It was the explosion from the house," neighbor Niki Budd said.

Eighty-eight firefighters conducted defensive operations and were concerned about the building's structural integrity. The fire was contained with an hour.

Two men, about 25 and 52, were seen running from the residence, and were later found with second-degree burns to their face and hands about seven blocks east of the fire. They were taken to the hospital, where they were detained.

One of the men told police he had been renting the home for 10 years. The other man said he was just visiting.

One man told police he believed the fire was caused by a gas leak, but investigators said they may have found a marijuana grow in the garage. The damage in the garage was too extensive to deem what type of narcotics were in the garage, authorities said. Investigators did, however, find butane canisters and vacuum pumps.

"It's very obvious that any type of drugs are dangerous, especially if you're cooking it or making it inside your home. They have all these different gases and they can ignite right away. I believe that's what happened tonight," Los Angeles Police Sgt. Mike Stewart said.

LAPD and LAFD were conducting a joint investigation. A narcotics lab squad was also sent to the scene to investigate.

Authorities said they will be seeking arrest warrants for the two men, who will be hospitalized for some time.