An illegal marijuana extract business hidden in a commercial building in Anaheim caught fire and left several people hospitalized Sunday, Feb. 20, including two firefighters who were injured in an explosion while battling the blaze.

Firefighters responded to 1169 N. Knollwood Circle and found a one-story, multi-unit structure engulfed in flames, Anaheim Fire & Rescue spokesman Stephen Peña said.

One firefighter had minor burns to his face, Pena said. The other hurt his back when he was knocked back several feet by the blast and fell onto his oxygen tank.

Firefighters rescued one person inside the building who was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A second person was found uninjured at the scene of the fire, Peña said. He told authorities he had been in the unit that caught fire, and that a concentrated extract of marijuana known as honey oil was being produced inside. Flammable chemicals like butane are often used to make the substance.

The fire spread to other parts of the structure, Peña said. Two people in an adjacent unit that was damaged took themselves to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries.

Crews were still battling flames chewing through the building when an explosion took place, Peña said. Two firefighters injured in the blast were taken to a hospital, and expected to recover from their injuries.

Smoke rose from the charred and gutted interior of the building after firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze, as seen in photos shared by Anaheim Fire & Rescue. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

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