Man arrested after honey oil lab starts house fire in Meyers

Submitted by paula on Wed, 01/23/2019 - 10:23am

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A rental home in Meyers was severely damaged in a fire on January 15, 2019, the result of an illegal drug lab according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO).

At 3:18 p.m., Lake Valley Fire Protection District responded to the report of a car crashing into a home at the intersection of Tomahawk Lane and Apache Avenue. Upon arrival, they found a structure and vehicle fire and called in South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue for backup.

Upon arrival emergency personnel found a substantial amount of the home engulfed in flames. While attempting to render the scene safe emergency personnel located what was recognized to be specialized equipment associated with making BHO - Butane Honey Oil concentrated cannabis.

One subject was contacted at the scene and witness statements described other individuals fleeing the rental property prior to law enforcement’s arrival. Evidence indicates this illegal drug lab was being operated by a group of individuals working together to produce BHO, said EDSO Sgt.Anthony Prencipe.

Benjamin Rahrle, 25, was arrested at the scene and booked into the El Dorado County Jail for manufacturing a controlled substance.

This was the second fire in the South Lake Tahoe area in less than a week that was caused by a BHO lab. On January 11, a house in the Y area of South Lake Tahoe caught fire from a butane explosion. One person has been arrested so far in that fire. In that case, Joe Johnson, 37, was arrested on a felony charge of manufacturing a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of a police officer.

"The rental home, which is located in a residential neighborhood, was heavily damaged. Based on the volatility of butane and the process of producing BHO, there is a substantial risk to public safety in regards to causing a fire and/or explosion as butane is a highly flammable substance when introduced to a flame or spark, even as minor as static electricity," said Prencipe in a press release.