Man burned in fire at Berkeley THC extraction facility

BERKELEY, Calif. - A man with his hands on fire was seen running out of a Berkeley facility that is used to extract THC for cannabis products on Thursday.

A fire started in barrels holding chemicals that the worker was using around 8:45 a.m., according to Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief Keith May.

"It was a crazy sight," said Emmanuel "Isaac" Gamboa, who works next door to the Cedar Street plant. "I heard an explosion and the whole building was on fire. It was super crazy." 

May said the man suffered burns to his hands and was taken to a San Francisco hospital with second-degree burns. 

Extracting THC can be turned into oils that can be used in vape pens, tinctures, topicals and edibles. 

A fire broke out at a THC extraction facility in the 600 block of Cedar Street in Berkeley. March 14, 2024