UPDATE: Investigators say the cause of the house explosion and fire in Courtenay is criminal in nature.
Police conducted a search of the residence and located equipment and other evidence that is used in the production of hash oil.
All three men injured in the fire, aged 25, 28 and 29-years-old, remain hospitalized at this time with serious injuries.
The house is reported to be structurally unsound after the explosion and subsequent fire and will require assessment for safety and re-habitation.
The criminal investigation continues, but police are confident that the three injured men were the only people present at the time of the explosion.
Previous story:
Three people are critically injured after what appears to be an explosion at a home in Courtenay Friday afternoon.
It happened around 4:45 p.m. in the 2000 block of First Street. Several nearby reported a large explosion at the house, but the exact cause is unknown.
A large fire in the back of the home soon followed, but before ambulance could arrive on scene, three people arrived at St. Joseph’s General Hospital. They have all been airlifted to specialized hospital units with serious injuries, according to the Comox Valley RCMP.
The identities of the three people, along with whether they lived in the house, is unknown.
Police say they are investigating reports of suspicious activity inside the home and are waiting for a warrant to enter the premises.
“Every fire that’s this serious and results in injuries is deemed suspicious until proven otherwise. We’re concerned with the witness accounts of some of the explosions, but sometimes those can be explained by barbecues,” said Cst. Dean Biollo with the Courtenay RCMP.
There were several cylinder containers with unknown substances in the back of the residence, and Biollo says the warrant will be used to determine if the containers were related to the fire.
“It’s early in the investigation. We haven’t determined the exact cause,” he cautioned.
PHOTOS: Damage from the explosion was immense
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