Massive amounts of butane, assault rifle and pit bull discovered in debris of exploded house
Rubble is all that remains after crews demolished the remnants of a house, located on Gattegno Street in Ypsilanti Township, that exploded on Sunday, July, 7.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
- Previous coverage: Officials: Ypsilanti Township house explosion could have been drug-related
- Previous coverage: Fire crews investigating house explosion in Ypsilanti Township
Officials who have been sifting through the debris of the house that exploded Sunday in Ypsilanti Township have made several interesting discoveries, officials said Tuesday.
Ypsilanti Township Fire Marshal Vic Chevrette, who was still at the scene Tuesday afternoon, said officials discovered hundreds of boxes containing thousands of 15-ounce canisters of butane, which is still being investigated as a cause of the explosion.
An assault rifle and bags of marijuana were taken away from the home on Gattegno Street Monday, as was a pit bull, who was trapped underneath a collapsed wall but rescued by authorities, Chevrette said.
The 25-year-old man who fled from the home with his clothes on fire remains at U-M Hospital, where he was listed Monday in critical condition.
The woman and infant seen running from the home are still unaccounted for, Chevrette said.
The investigation into what caused the fire continued Tuesday, but a large cache of butane might be the cause. Officials said drug dealers use the butane to essentially extract THC from all parts of the marijuana plant to make what is called hash oil.
Butane-extracted hash oil is emerging in stoner culture as a way to achieve an intense high, described as “cosmically baked,” according to a June 2013 Rolling Stone article.
It also can be easily made at home: Marijuana is packed into a tube and a solvent, such as butane, is forced through it.
The liquid is collected and the solvent is evaporated — leaving a highly concentrated THC-laced resin that can vary in its final consistency from hard crystals to earwax-like goop.
The majority of the canisters were found in the garage, where the hash oil-making process was definitely going on, Chevrette said.
Authorities were still sifting through the rubble Tuesday to see if it was also going on in the basement, which could have caused the house to explode from something as simple as lighting a cigarette, Chevrette said.
“This house was pretty tight,” he added.
One of the implements related to making the hash oil was already located in the basement, leading authorities to believe there was some butane in the house as well as the garage.
But officials are not ruling out other possible causes of the fire, many of which are also related to the 25-year-old man's alleged marijuana grow operation, which was scheduled to be raided along with 21 other location across southeast Michigan Monday morning.
The house blew up before a search warrant could be executed, police said.
Chevrette said any number of items recovered by officials could be related to the explosion: the water heater, the hydroponic grow lights, furnace and the grow operation's filtration system.
The cause has been narrowed down to the butane or to natural gas inside the home, not in the gas lines leading to it, Chevrette said. A final determination of the cause should be made within a week, he said.
Michigan State Police continue to investigate. They could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Hmm
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 7:48 p.m.
Hey John or whomever is doing it, maybe you should spend more time proofreading your articles for the many spelling and grammatical errors instead of spending all your time being the comment police deleting stuff you don't like to read. Seriously we don't need this level of "moderation".
BeeMused
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 7:19 p.m.
Who identified it as a "pit bull"? Often people love to throw the name around when they really don't know what actual breed of dog they were dealing with--here's a little quiz if you're curious: http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
Jack
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 6:06 p.m.
Odd that this was voted down, isn't it? The truth is that most people rally don't know what a pit bull is. I took either this or a similar tests years ago and found I was pretty ignorant on the subject.
Kdx
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 7:11 p.m.
People make me laugh ! Yeah cus if Ann Arbor.com didn't mention the process of hash oil nobody in the world would know how to make it, yeah right not to mention the comments about the article why is the headline like this why did they say pitbull omg people you have people found illegal things and your mentioning a headline what the heck we should be glad nobody else like the neighbors were hurt. Obvious to me the people in that home are not law abiding maybe if they were the girl and her baby would be talking or maybe even seeking medical care for her child Not to mention house was supposed to be raided Monday . So lets point out why they say assault rifle or pit bull wow lol ok
microtini
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 6:58 p.m.
This is probably one of the least literate headlines I've seen on this website. Keep trying, kids.
djm12652
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 6:04 p.m.
So the trigger could have been the water heater or furnace? OMG we need to ban these now so future drug entrepreneurs can have a safe working environment. But not the hydroponic system...
leezee
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
I think I'm going to need copious amounts of hash oil after reading all the whiny comments. Perhaps we need to be more concerned about the fact that someone may have been making and selling drugs and in the process put their neighborhood at risk - the explosion could have been much worse.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
The answer to all the questions about why the words "assault rifle" and "pit bull" were included in the headline can be found in the number of comments - and in turn the number of advertisement impressions - this article has generated. It's really that simple. There's no journalistic reason for their inclusion in the headline, and you, I and they all know that.
Ross
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 6:54 p.m.
I dunno, I found it genuinely interesting to connect this man's behavior with his choice to have such a weapon and breed of dog in his home. Fair game. People just seem to get defensive when their love of a more dangerous dog breed gets tied to unseemly behavior, of when a ridiculous gun that nobody needs does the same. Guess what folks, correlations exist.
Cindy Heflin
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:49 p.m.
We do like to point out interesting facts in the headlines of stories. I'm not aware of any rule of journalism that prohibits that.
Mitch
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:20 p.m.
Poor dog, poor kid, suffering the stupidity of those that are in charge of their care. I hope the police raide everyone close to them.
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:06 p.m.
For those who dismiss the importantance of the dog breed - I have seen pictures of dogs playing poker, and I think they were smoking cigars. Maybe these dogs were refilling their lighters with the butane while smoking cigars. Hence, the dog breed is important.
jcj
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:52 p.m.
Maybe the dog tripped over the rifle, discharging it, which caused the butane to explode! I got it.
seldon
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:39 p.m.
This is quite a shift from the initial "oh, we think it was probably the water heater" press release. LOL
JimmyD
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:57 p.m.
that was one big water heater !
Huron74
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:21 a.m.
If stoners could just buy a hashie over at a licensed local store legally, like they can a quart of liquor, or some beer, knuckle-headed amateurs would have no financial incentives to grow marijuana plants, hoard butane, rifles, ammo, or pit bulls, and which would also reduce the chances of blowing up a house in subdivision. The local state and federal drug warriors could be retrained to do productive and useful police work. Forest, trees?
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 5:27 a.m.
now wait just a minute .. YOU aer not allowed to think independently. tsk-tsk!
Solitude
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:49 a.m.
This incident tends to poke more holes in the whole "If it were legal, there would be no more crime and we'd all live happily ever after." There are now legal ways to grow marijuana, and yet here we have more individuals who choose lawlessness, even though a lawful avenue to grow now exists. If heroin were legal, people would still steal it to avoid having to buy their own. Cigarettes are legal, yet people steal to get them every day. People commit larceny and shoplifting crimes every day to steal legally obtainable items. Drugs are no different. I believe marijuana should be legal in any society in which alcohol is legal, yet I'm under no illusion that making it legal will keep people from organizing and operating crime rings for the purposes of growing and distributing it outside the law.
Solitude
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 8:43 p.m.
Robert Granville, perhaps I worded it ambiguously, or perhaps you misinterpreted what I was saying, which is that people resort to stealing cigarettes every day, as opposed to buying them, not that people are stealing from others for money to buy cigarettes. And I don't make things up.
Robert Granville
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:47 p.m.
Hmmm.... I didn't realize someone was tracking stats on theft for the purposes of buying cigarettes.... Oh wait... you made that up? No way!
clownfish
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1 p.m.
It appears this was an illegal operation. If there were regulations in place regarding the production of hash oil, perhaps those would have been followed. Or not, work place safety is often low on the list when profits are on the line.
John Counts
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 9:33 a.m.
This house was part of a coordinated raid of 22 sites by the Michigan State Police regarding an illegal marijuana grow operation: http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/officials-ypsilanti-township-house-explosion-could-have-been-drug-related/
Ypsibronc
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:18 a.m.
How do we know that this was an illegal marijuana operation? Could very well be a licensed "medical marijuana caregiver". This story is an interesting collision of the gun lobby vs. the dope lobby. Pot heads cannot legally possess firearms under federal law.
PineyWoodsGuy
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:15 a.m.
Here is my informed two cents: 1. Humane Society should put the Pit Bull to sleep. 2. When the bad guy recovers from his burn injuries (Mega Thousands of MedicAid dollars), put him on trial. Convict him. Send him to prison for a long, long time. Now for yins that respond, I'll bet that most of yer comments will be about sending the Pit Bull to Doggie Heaven!
chapmaja
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:34 a.m.
I would only agree to #1 in certain circumstance. If the dog is deemed to be a dangerous dogs but people who actually have knowledge and training dealing with pit bulls, then it should be put to sleep. If the dog has been injured to the point that it will be in pain for the rest of its life, it should be put to sleep. If the dog is deemed adoptable by people who are actually trained in dealing with pit bulls, it should be put up for adoption or given to an organization that will pit it up for adoption. As for #2. Sadly I suspect you are correct, it will costs a lot of taxpayer money to treat him for his injuries. After that he should be tried for any crimes he may have committed while leasing the property that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. He should also be sued by the homeowner for destruction of property. It is very likely that the insurance coverage on this house will not cover the damage caused, because this damage was caused by an illegal activity. Many policies don't cover damaged caused by illegal actions, so the home owner might be SOL financially and thus will need to sue to recover damages.
Peter
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:47 a.m.
All 3 of your cents are completely wrong.
genetracy
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:08 a.m.
We need to outlaw butane.
djm12652
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 6:13 p.m.
@Jamie...you forgot the part of us evil conservatives kicking puppies over goal posts for fun...but it's really for leg strength training...
Jaime Magiera
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:35 p.m.
When would conservatives have time to outlaw marijuana? They're are too busy trying to outlaw science in schools, outlaw climate change policy, outlaw a woman's right to health choices, outlaw the muslim faith, outlaw equal rights for gay people and roll back civil rights legislation.
actionjackson
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 11:25 a.m.
It certainly isn't the conservatives that are pushing for abolishment of marijuana laws!
martini man
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:59 a.m.
Shhhhhh ..some liberals might just take you seriously
Loopy
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:04 a.m.
Wow, if there are two things I'm sick of hearing about, it's (1) defensive "assault rifle" apologists and their boring academia about gun specifications, and (2) pit bull enthusiasts OR detractors. It's pitiful what the public can find the energy to get worked up about, but I guess it's gun specs and dog specs. What a country.
jcj
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:49 p.m.
Just a thought! What got YOU so worked up?
Loopy
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:06 a.m.
Here's a thought: Perhaps if medical-grade hash were available on a commercial level to people who need it / want it, idiots with guns and pit bulls wouldn't be making it in their bathtubs while there's an infant in the house? Just a thought.
Mr. Ed
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:47 a.m.
Karma
Paul
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:43 a.m.
The Pit Bull was in the house when it blew and was OK ? Pretty neat type of dogs !..Not for the faint of heart thou, lol
jcj
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:48 p.m.
Why the hurry to demolish the house? 2 days?
jcj
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:15 p.m.
Many reasons to not want this house standing. I agree. BUT how many other houses in Ypsilanti fit that description? I was just surprised that they wrapped up the investigation so quick. I certainly agree the house needed to come down.
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1 p.m.
@Paul: the evidence will be retained for any trial, not destroyed. Destroying the evidence would be a crime, and if the evidence is not preserved in a documented chain of custody it will not typically be allowed in court. A pile of unsecured rubble cannot be used as evidence because people could add litter to it, or alter it. Though it would have probably been difficult for anyone to dispose of hundreds of butane canisters. And for the community, it is great that it is mostly gone. Who knows how many years it would have sat as an eyesore.
Ypsibronc
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:10 a.m.
Public nuisance? Danger to the community? Butane canisters in the rubble? I can think of any number of reasons why I don't want an unsafe structure in my neighborhood.
Paul
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:46 a.m.
This way there isn't no way the defendant could send in his own experts to investigate ad argue in court who findings are correct. Hurry up and destroy it, thats our legal system at work .
jcj
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:28 a.m.
Plausible Nick
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:01 a.m.
I'm guessing it was necessary in order to scrutinize the scene for evidence. My TV CSI experience suggests large portions of the debris are being held as evidence.
jcj
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:46 p.m.
Foe those complaining about the mention of a Pit Bull.I could make the same case for the rifle! No relevance.
Paul
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:48 a.m.
Huh, folks sometimes use both sometimes for protection and to slow the police down in entering...problem is, not all rifle or pit bull owners are criminals
nickcarraweigh
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:12 p.m.
Police news as perfect as this is only improved by evolving at its own pace. It's a nice touch, nobody at first noticing thousands of foot-long butane cylinders lurking in the smoking rubble. Anyway, did the 21 scheduled raids occur? Any non-flashbanged pitbull encounters? Any arrests, additional seizures or further explosions? Huge manpower, 22 coordinated raids. Investigation must have taken months or more.
John Counts
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 9:31 a.m.
We reported much of that information in a previous story: http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/officials-ypsilanti-township-house-explosion-could-have-been-drug-related/
Solitude
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:42 a.m.
http://www.freep.com/article/20130709/NEWS05/307090112/marijuana-raids-michigan-state-police
Paul
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:50 a.m.
Coffee and donuts have been replaces by pills but police don't use drugs, ha ha..same when they go to the bar, alcohol is not a drug in their eyes
Basic Bob
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:38 p.m.
Can you imagine the pile of empty coffee cups and doughnut boxes?
justcurious
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:12 p.m.
I agree, the breed of the dog has nothing to do with what happened at that house. You can infer things but that does not make them true.
Krupper1
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:45 a.m.
The breed of dog nor the type of weapon have anything to do with the explosion. Well, unless of course we also detail the brand of shoes worn, the type of cereal recovered, and the video games on hand.
riverguy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 11:47 p.m.
CLX, exactly! Some pit bull owners like to live in denial of the very fact that you have stated, but it's true nonetheless. Even though there are many responsible pit bull owners, the fact is there are a lot of drug dealers and other low-class people that favor the breed.
CLX
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:48 p.m.
pit bulls and drug dealers are often found in the same new stories (used to be Dobermans - guess they picked a new favorite). sucks for good owners of pit bulls that drug dealers prefer this breed, but that doesn't make it untrue.
FredMax
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:01 p.m.
Anyone notice how poster complaints have gone off the deep end? "Why did you mention assault rifle/butane/pit bull?"
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:52 p.m.
No, but I have noticed now the comment police have gone off the deep end.
jcj
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:50 p.m.
Did not take much research to find out your "pet issues".
Julius
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:01 p.m.
It's kind of like when musicians take issue with calling everything a song. Not all music is a song. But, people gladly run with this incorrect knowledge so much so that it becomes the norm. The contention with "assault rifles" is that it's well documented that most of the characteristics do not make a weapon more dangerous. The distinction is important to note especially if we've been talking about restricting responsible law abiding citizens every time someone decides to not be responsible or abide by the law. It's hardly going off the deep end to have a contention with the way something is being portrayed. You may not agree with it, but at least have accurate knowledge about it.
Loopy
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2 a.m.
Yes, we can tell what people's pet issues are. Pun intended. Oh, the fake outrage!
YpsiLivin
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:20 p.m.
So, since the house was a rental, I'm guessing that the tenant isn't going to get his security deposit back...
Solitude
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:55 a.m.
@Paul, give it a rest. Should the paper pretend nothing was found in the house, and ignore the fact that the house was the target of a drug raid, and pretend there were no guns and enormous amounts of butane found? Fact are facts. If he has an explanation, I'm sure that will also be reported when and if the matter gets to trial.
Paul
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:51 a.m.
Heck ,he may never get his freedom back. He's being tried in the media before his day in court
Brad
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.
Knock knock Who's there? Darwin
dading dont delete me bro
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:56 p.m.
"...a pit bull.." glad to see that ordinance is doing so we'll...
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:52 p.m.
Wasn't that a Tom Waits song? "Send butane, guns and pitbulls.." ?
riverguy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 11:40 p.m.
Nicholas, some of us got the joke. I guess Homeland didn't.
Homeland Conspiracy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:50 p.m.
Warren Zevon Lawyers, Guns and Money
Jaded_Old_Fart
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:48 p.m.
Thanks for the hash oil recipe... sigh
riverguy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 11:38 p.m.
Yeah, like this article was the one and ONLY place on the internet where someone could find out how to make it. Oh, the horrors!
Belisa
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:46 p.m.
headline makes it sound like the pittie was making the oil and guarding it with his attack rifle ... those dogs are nothing but trouble!!!
arborani
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:28 a.m.
I've seen that painting.
Basic Bob
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:37 p.m.
Next they'll be drinking and playing poker!
Bertha Venation
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:41 p.m.
Nice tenant! (one reason why I'd never rent my house out).
Responsible Citizen
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:01 p.m.
Don't put all tenants in that category. There are plenty of nice, responsible people renting houses.
chapmaja
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:28 a.m.
The issue isn't renting the property, it is knowing who you are renting to. I know many people who are successful in the rental business. They have a strict rental agreement that allows representatives of the property owner to access the property during regular business hours, with little if any notice. This is included generally for maintenance reasons, but can also allow the owner to look for open and obvious signs of illegal activity. That brings in another clause of the rental agreement. If any illegal activity is being conducted in the house, including but not limited to drug use, drug manufacture, drug sales, illegal gambling, that results in immediate termination of the lease agreement at the sole discretion of the property owner. This wording allows the owner the right to terminate the lease for serious infractions, but also allow the leasee to stay in the property for what the owner may deem minor infractions.
ordmad
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:11 a.m.
What's the other reason Bertha?
leaguebus
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:19 a.m.
You get a new house if it is insured and the tenant blows it up. Saves a lot of maintenance.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:29 p.m.
Gee, now we all know how to make the stuff. Why the recipe? I can just see kids jotting down the instructions. What's that called? Aiding and abetting?
CLX
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:44 p.m.
Think of the kids, the kids.... Maybe just prevent your kid from reading anything or using the internet or going to the library. It's a story involving possible drug trade - get over it.
johnnya2
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.
Before the story I am guessing a LARGE number of readers had no idea about hash oil. THe reporter EXPLAINED what happened. When reporting on crack cocaine, should reporters have not said it was a highly concentrated form of cocaine turned into rocks for smoking and making the cocaine cheaper? For the record, crack and cocaine are the same thing, but penalties for one (used mostly by rich people) are substantially lower than for the other used mostly by the poor and minorities.
Jaime Magiera
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:55 p.m.
Well, there is "The Internet" (a.k.a. "Series of Tubes"). Also, there are literally thousands of books on the topic. There is nothing new here. The reporter is simply trying to explain to folks why the butane is relevant in the process. It's relevant to the story and I think this is relevant in that it shows how the illegality of the plant can cause people to attempt even more potent highs, while putting themselves and others in danger.
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:55 p.m.
It's called google. And kids know how to use it. Though some might like to pretend they don't.
linuxtuxguy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:01 p.m.
Why does the link in 'scheduled to be raided' start at the 2nd letter instead of the 1st?
PattyinYpsi
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:56 p.m.
To quote the great John McEnroe, You canNOT be serious.
Fordie
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.
Linking like that is considered public art - a staple of the Ann Arbor community.
jondhall
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:01 p.m.
How does one make Butane? Also what is the going price for Hash oil? So my guess is tomorrow we will have yet another theory as to how this explosion occurred. Does stupidity count as a cause?
Soothslayer
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:16 p.m.
Butane was used in a hash oil manufacture process. Please re-read the article more carefully.
leaguebus
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:18 a.m.
You need a catalytic converter to make butane. So the big oil buys do it.
Mark Hergott
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:20 p.m.
One does not make butane. Or at least, this fellow did not make butane. He bought canister after canister of the stuff.
John of Saline
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:01 p.m.
Make it a little neighborhood park instead of rebuilding. Hash Field? Butane Park?
you can't handle the truth
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:54 p.m.
Very interesting and nicely written article, John. Pay no attention to these knuckleheads.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:50 p.m.
Slogging through the comments from the self-appointed comment police is even more discouraging.
Ann English
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:01 p.m.
John, if it hadn't been for the numerous photographs, we wouldn't know that the house had a detached garage. The garage looks completely undamaged, or else it would have been demolished along with the house. Easy to find evidence in the garage.
KMHall
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
I agree. The comment section is an opportunity for interesting, informative conversation. Slogging through the silly stuff is discouraging.
slave2work
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:49 p.m.
In the video they showed of the explosion, you can see a dog running away. So they had 2 dogs?.. or was that the pit ?
Ann English
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:06 a.m.
Pit bulls can be different from the stereotype of being mean; it all depends on their owners. The ones who are seen in dogfights have been denied food, as part of their training; I don't believe for a second that this trapped pit bull was being trained for dogfights. You can't tell a dog's personality by its breed or appearance; often a dog needs time to learn to trust a new owner, if mistreated by a former owner, or one who didn't know how to handle it. A dog I once had whose mother was a fox terrier, could really scare people he didn't know when they came over, but he was overjoyed when one of us came home after being gone for ten hours or more. The longer the absence, the happier he was when that person came home. But no, he was NOT a biter.
TryingToBeObjective
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:48 p.m.
Pit bulls are not small dogs. A chihuahua is a small dog. A schnauzer is a small dog. Pits are typically medium sized dogs. Terrier refers to the grouping of dogs. The word terrier comes from the Latin root terra, which means earth. This refers to the terrier groups love of digging. My stafford shire terrier weighs 50 pounds, and he is medium sized, yet smaller than many other staffies and pits that I know of. My staffordshire terrier is on awesome, lovable dog! Punish the deed, not the breed. Pit bulls rock!
Ann English
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:11 p.m.
The dog running away was a large breed. Pit bulls are small dogs. The full name of the breed is American Pit Bull Terrier. Terriers are small dogs.
Jaime Magiera
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.
jondhall, you mean Dachshund?
Kitty O'Brien
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.
No. Only one was a pit bull.
jondhall
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:15 p.m.
I would guess one was Wiener dog
Jack
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:09 p.m.
And were they both pit bulls?
John Counts
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:52 p.m.
There were two dogs. The dog found in the rubble was not the one on the video. Both survived.
LaMusica
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:46 p.m.
Was there a reason for writing how the hash oil is made?! I feel like no good can come of that...
ArthGuinness
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:26 p.m.
I'm going to have to agree with ... Zhuk and crew. If I wanted to make hash oil, I wouldn't read this article and say to myself - "hey, all's I need is butane". Okay, then what?
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:48 p.m.
It's the third or fourth article on the subject. I guess they have to print something or they're just have one paragraph.
Responsible Citizen
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:58 p.m.
You can find how to do anything on the Internet. Look at the Boston bombings or Oklahoma City. I think by posting how the hash oil was made, maybe someone else might notice someone with an inordinate amount of butane and avoid a situation such as this. More knowledge is a good thing!
Richard Carter
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:43 a.m.
There are even YouTube videos of the process.
ThaKillaBee
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:39 p.m.
At some point we have to start trusting each other. I don't want my news censored because one unstable person out of a thousand might get a stupid idea.
Zhuk
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:33 p.m.
I agree... there are people who are too lazy to use google and may possibly only start making hash oil because they read about here (burried in an article about a blown up house and guy in the burn ward)
slave2work
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:49 p.m.
I agree.. why print that?
smokeblwr
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:44 p.m.
Didn't Hank Hill refer to butane as one of the "bastard gases". Propane is king.
Moewan
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:09 p.m.
Propane is gods gas
Kitty O'Brien
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:41 p.m.
Why name the breed of dog in the headline? So sick of news outlets attempts to sensationalize their stories. The dog's breed has absolutely NOTHING to do with the explosion.
edredneck
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:14 p.m.
Kitty O'Brien: Do you think the same way about the "assault rifle" that can never assault anyone without a trigger finger behind it.
Jack
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 5:27 a.m.
@Solitude - There is absoltely no unbiased scientific evidence to back up your statements on the genetics of pit bulls. How supposedly educated and rational people can believe this bugaboo astounds me. It sounds so much like the rants people used to go on ( and some still do) about certain races and ethic groups.
Solitude
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:04 a.m.
The dog's breed is absolutely pertinent to the story, just as the gun is, as the pit bull is just as much a weapon as the gun. The fact that some pit bulls are owned by responsible people doesn't change the fact that they are inherently dangerous, just like being owned by a responsible person doesn't change the potentially deadly nature of a gun. Pit Bulls are genetically coded to be aggressive, and just because some of them never become killers doesn't mean the rest of them are "safe."
4mytown
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:06 a.m.
Pit bulls are clearly seen by many as a tool of intimidation, so are assault rifles. in the wrong hands both can be quite dangerous. It helps us to get a clearer picture of the people involved in the story. If it was a golden retriever and a hunting rifle, we might conclude this was a rogue camper.
riverguy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 11:58 p.m.
Kitty, you're right, the dog's breed doesn't have anything to with the explosion itself. However, it can have something to do with the type of person who lived there. I'm sick of people needing their news sanitized just because a story has a pit bull in it. Get over it!
Ann English
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:57 p.m.
When I saw "pit bull" in the headline, I thought the dog was definitely smaller than the dog who escaped. Glad it wasn't a basenji who was trapped. Sometimes, trapped dogs who can ordinarily bark are left alone for so long, all they can do is yip, so only people near them can hear them.
Jojo B
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:52 p.m.
Easy, guys. Not everything has to be a left-wing Obama conspiracy. Frankly, if it was a chihuahua in the basement, I think they WOULD mention that as it would be a pretty smashing headline!
djacks24
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:10 p.m.
You're right. Most of the headlines are attracting click/add revenue or just throwing in their liberal spin on the story. If the dog were a mut, shih tzu, dalmatian, chihuahua, pekineses, etc, would have never been mentioned or only would have said "dog".
daywell
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:46 p.m.
Good point
daywell
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:45 p.m.
Good point
daywell
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:40 p.m.
Best wishes to the drug dealers and addicts in my neighborhood. The only innocent here were the baby and the dogs, adults who put them selves in bad situations should expect bad results.
Jaime Magiera
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:58 p.m.
The key word is "can". Lots of things can be addicting. Chocolate bars can be addicting. That doesn't mean every person who eats a chocolate bar is an addict. In fact, most people who eat chocolate bars aren't addicts. In other words, use does not equal addiction. That's the point here. Daywell seems to equate people who choose to smoke weed as being "addicts" without any indication of addiction. It's bad science and bad stereotyping.
jklep12
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
Robert, you do not know that people can be addicted to marijuana? A person who is an addict is addicted to drugs, and marijuana certainly counts.
Robert Granville
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:44 p.m.
Addicts? Were talking marijuana here.
Jaime Magiera
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:49 p.m.
Agreed. They should have used safer means of extracting the THC.
Deensee
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:34 p.m.
Hope the pittie is ok.
djm12652
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 6:01 p.m.
Was this dog a Staffordshire or American? Just wondering...Pit Bull is not a breed.
Robert Granville
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:44 p.m.
He is... was rescued by Animal Medical Services.
tom devero
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:15 a.m.
PITY poor PITTIE!!
Ricardo Queso
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:55 a.m.
"Breed discrimination"? Really? That is hilarious!
Roncerz
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:56 p.m.
Me, too! And I do not agree with the news stating that it was a 'pit bull'. It was a dog. No need to mention the breed. It is hogwash that if it were a benign breed like a beagle, etc. the breed would not have been stated. This irresponsible type of news promotes the stereotyping of Pit Bulls. This kind of journalism-written or on the TV news--encourages Breed Specific Legislation and Breed Discrimination. Poor dog. He never stands a change with people like these criminals.
norainnorainbow
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:33 p.m.
Why is the pit bull mentioned in the headline? Breed bashing? Stereotyping?
Jack
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 5:23 a.m.
So, then, Mr. Counts, why wasn't the breed of the second dog mentioned? It seems to be known.
chapmaja
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:22 a.m.
I completely agree. The breed of dog is only mentioned because of the breed this dog is. Had it been any other breed it would have said, dog, not the specific breed in the headline. Unfortunately this is the reputation the breed has because it is common to find pit bulls associated with criminal activities including but not limited to drugs, gambling, and dog fighting. A subset of owners of this breed, not the breed itself, have set it up to be mentioned like this in the news. If beagles were often used as protection for illegal activities, or in the illegal activities themselves, we would see the word beagle used regularly when something negative involved the breed. (For the record, a beagle is the only breed I have been bit by. My friends pit might slobber me to death though).
riverguy
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 11:31 p.m.
Kitty, why so defensive about identifying the breed of dog found in the wreckage? I own a Golden Retriever and I wouldn't be offended in the least if that had been the breed found and identified as such.
YpsiGreen
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 11:21 p.m.
maybe it was an assault pit bull...
daywell
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:43 p.m.
Um...it was a pit bull wasn't it, maybe that is why they called it a pit bull. They didn't call it a killer pit bull or anything, just stated the facts. It was an innocent pit bull that could have lost it's life due to the losers who lived in that house.
Kitty O'Brien
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:43 p.m.
So if it was a Golden Retriever, you'd name the breed in the headline? Hogwash!
John Counts
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:37 p.m.
Whenever we can be as specific and detailed as possible, we are. That depends on if authorities have the information. In this case, they did.
ypsituckian
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
I thought the woman and baby were accounted for. What is happening here? Why are we getting contradictory news reports?
BP312
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 4:03 a.m.
John - In an initial article, I thought it said that the woman had declined medical attention for herself and her infant. If so, how can she still be unaccounted for? Was she not seen after being questioned?
ypsituckian
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:22 a.m.
Oh good. The way the article was written gave the impression that the woman and child had perished in the explosion. Thanks for clearing up the semantics.
John Counts
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:55 p.m.
Media reports and authorities have reported that witnesses saw the woman and baby escape. It doesn't mean the woman has come forward to speak to officials about the explosion. She hasn't.
jmac
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
Shades of Breaking Bad! Anyone who's ever used a butane lighter knows how flammable that stuff is; the article lists several potential sources of ignition for the many butane canisters on the property. Best wishes for the young man who was critically hurt.
Ann English
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 9:49 p.m.
When I read or hear the term "butane," I think, "butane torch."
Ricebrnr
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 7:23 p.m.
Please indicate who used the term "assault rifle" and how it was determined to be so.
djm12652
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 5:59 p.m.
@leaguebus....do you know what is the difference between a semi-auto and an auto weapon? also do you how one gets an automatic weapon?
Laurie Barrett
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.
I think the reason the knucklehead had it was as you say because it's scary. That's why we call them assault weapons. That's why the gun companies make them that way--to appeal to the gun-owners fear and need to threaten. It's the quality not the quantifiable mechanics of the killing tool that we're talking about here. If you can make a tommy gun semiautomatic it may be functionally the same as a target rifle but in terms of what it's made to look like what it is meant to do, it's a machine gun. If this wasn't true the knucklehead would have had a hunting rifle. The "it's functionally the same as a hunting rifle" argument is facetious. "Assault rifle" describes what it looks like it's meant to do, and that gives it the quality of being one.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:52 p.m.
"Maybe those rifles are styled on authentic assault rifles even if they aren't automatics; that's enough of a reason to refer to them as assault rifles." Maybe? But regardless... no. It's just a semi-automatic rifle. Sure, it has some "scary looking" (to some uninformed people) shapes to it. It's black instead of metal and wood-colored. Scary!
Laurie Barrett
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 3:39 p.m.
well, they probably were looking through all the debris left by some knucklehead who was trying to make hash oil on a large scale basis in a concentrated residential area and had an attack dog on the premises, apparently trying to create the image of himself as a badass or something like that, and when they came across the rifle and saw that it wasn't a plinking gun used for carnival booths but one of the military-styled weapons currently on the market commonly referred to as an assault rifle for lack of a better way to distinguish it from a hunting rifle, they just defaulted to the generic term? Maybe those rifles are styled on authentic assault rifles even if they aren't automatics; that's enough of a reason to refer to them as assault rifles. That the term refers to the style of the rifle is implicit.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 2:44 p.m.
I would like an answer to Ricebrn's original question.
Responsible Citizen
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:54 p.m.
ED Redneck: Why do you find it necessary to attack liberals? This is about a house explosion and what was found in it. I find that, generally, when people attack people's opinions or questions, the verbal attacker cannot adequately defend his position with valid sources, so he/she finds it necessary to attack the person instead of the statement. Not necessary. If you want to be taken seriously, keep it on a nonpersonal level.
edredneck
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:06 p.m.
Clownfish: "Why the concern over what definition is used?" Because it's a propaganda description used by the Obama administration and the triple L's (liberals lack Logic). You can always tell a liberal - but you can't tell it much.
edredneck
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:59 p.m.
Did they find out who the "assault rifle" assaulted?:?? The media loves to use that description - gotta keep up with Obama, Feinstein and shotgun Joe!
clownfish
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:55 p.m.
Why the concern over what definition is used?
smokeblwr
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 12:43 p.m.
A battleship was just a ship with a bunch of guns on it until it found somebody to fire the guns at. A hunting knife is just a sharp piece of metal until you go hunting with it. An electric chair is just a comfy seat until it's plugged in.
OLDTIMER3
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 11:11 a.m.
A rifle cannot assault anybody or anything without a person controlling it. Therefore there is no such thing as an ASSAUILT RIFLE. Until it used to assault someone it is just a semi automatic rifle.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 10:35 a.m.
Omg, so much fail in that statement!
leaguebus
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 : 1:14 a.m.
Whats the difference between an AK 47 and an AR15 Assault rifle? Not much. Both can be full auto.
Randall Milton
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 10:32 p.m.
You do have a point here. An AR-15 is definitely NOT an assault rifle. I would be surprised if they actually found something that met all of the criteria of an assault weapon. The term has been used WAYYY too loosely.. especially lately. I do however think the Honda-Nascar comparison might be a bit of a stretch. :P
Ricebrnr
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:50 p.m.
WRONG, "assault" rifles are not semi-automatic as much as the Brady Bunch would have you think it so. An AR-15 is to an assault rifle as a Honda Accord is to a NASCAR vehicle.
Bob Zuruncol
Tue, Jul 9, 2013 : 8:32 p.m.
C'mon. Assault rifles are like porn. Hard to define but everybody knows it when they see it. Are you picturing an AR15 in your head? Well, you should be. That's what they mean. lightweight, magazine-fed, semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials.