Firefighters Find Marijuana Extraction Lab in Montecito

An evacuated Montecito home turned up something alarming for incident commanders and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s investigators last Wednesday morning.

Firefighters battling the Thomas Fire around the 2200 block of Bella Vista Drive on December 13 reported seeing paraphernalia they believed belonged to a butane honey oil extraction lab. Butane honey oil comes from filtering butane, a highly flammable gas, through finely ground marijuana.

In a press release Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office said that investigators gathered evidence as flames were bearing down on the property and surrounding residences. Ultimately, investigators gathered 300 to 500 pounds of cut marijuana, 15 to 20 pounds of hashish, a small amount of butane honey oil, a commercial grade extraction lab, and numerous unopened cans of butane.

After the investigation was complete, firefighters continued to battle flames on the property.