Hell and back: Terrifying moment six firefighters are left with no choice but to crawl along ladder through 200ft fireball to escape out-of-control blaze at LA hash oil factory

• Video shows at least six firefighters trying to escape building on firetruck ladder 
• As two firefighters were escaping, they were completely engulfed in flames
• Total of 12 firefighters, who were inside during the explosion, were injured after they had to run through a wall of flames estimated to be as much as 30 feet high
• Others ran out onto sidewalks, where they tore off burning protective equipment
• Firefighters first thought they were battling a routine structure fire before an explosion shot a ball of flames out of the building Saturday night 
• Authorities have launched a criminal probe into the cause of the explosion
• The building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes, which is a supplier for makers of 'butane honey oil'

By VALERIE EDWARDS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM-18 May 2020

Horrifying footage shows the moment firefighters desperately tried to escape a building following an explosion Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles. 

At least six firefighters are seen making their way out of the building on a ladder after attempting to tackle a massive blaze at a building of a supplier of butane honey oil - also known as hash oil. 

Some of the first responders were engulfed in flames as they tried to reach safety. 

Twelve firefighters, who were inside during the explosion, were injured after they had to run through a wall of flames estimated to be as much as 30 feet high and wide.

Others ran out onto sidewalks, where they tore off their burning protective equipment, including melted helmets.

Horrifying footage shows the moment firefighters desperately tried to escape a building following an explosion in downtown Los Angeles. The firefighters can be seen climbing down the ladder of their firetruck in this image 

At least six firefighters are seen making their way out of the building on a ladder after attempting to tackle a massive blaze at a building of a supplier of butane honey oil - also known as hash oil

The ladder soon became engulfed with flames with at least two of the firefighters still on it  

On Sunday, police and fire investigators launched a criminal probe into the cause of the explosion. 

  

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's major crimes division were working with investigators from the Fire Department's arson team to determine what might have sparked the blast that shot a ball of flames out of the building Saturday night and scorched a fire truck across the street, police spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.

The wall of flames shot out of the building and burned seats inside a fire truck across the street. 

'We're in the very early stages of the investigation ... to understand what happened and figure out how to move forward,' he said.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting local fire investigators, an agency spokeswoman said.

'Everybody off the roof!' a firefighter shouted in scanner traffic captured on Broadcastify.com.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's major crimes division are working with investigators from the fire department's arson team to determine what might have sparked the blast 

The blast injured a dozen firefighters. Some of them who ran out onto sidewalks, where they tore off their burning protective equipment

'Mayday mayday mayday! All companies out of the building. Mayday mayday mayday!' another shouted.

Firefighters first thought they were battling a routine structure fire, city fire Capt Erik Scott told KNX Radio, but as they got a little farther in the building they started to hear 'a loud hissing sound and a significant rumbling that you could feel vibrating throughout the area'.

He said 'one significant explosion' shook the neighborhood around 6.30pm.  

Three firefighters were released after spending the night in the hospital, fire department spokesman Nicholas Prange said Sunday. 

Of the eight who remained hospitalized, two were in critical but stable condition.

Officials initially announced that 11 firefighters were injured. But Prange said a 12th was treated and released for a minor injury. All are expected to survive.

'Things could have been so much worse,' said Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director Dr Marc Eckstein, who helped treat the injured at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center.

There was light to moderate smoke when firefighters entered the one-story building in the city's Toy District and went on the roof - normal procedures to try to quickly knock down any flames. 

Los Angeles Fire Department crews push ambulance cots at the scene

Firefighters gather their equipment on San Pedro Street on Monday following the weekend fire

Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said one of the firefighters inside the building thought things didn't seem right - the pressure from the smoke and heat coming from the rear of the building were increasing. 

He directed everyone to get out, and they quickly started exiting the building as it was rocked by the explosion.

More than 200 firefighters rushed to the scene, and dozens of engines, trucks and rescue vehicles clogged the streets. 

The fire spread to several nearby buildings, but firefighters were able to douse it in about an hour.

Scott said the building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes, which he described as a supplier for makers of 'butane honey oil'.

Butane is an odorless gas that easily ignites, and it´s used in the process to extract the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis to create a highly potent concentrate also known as hash oil. 

The oil is used in vape pens, edibles, waxes and other products.

A call to SmokeTokes went unanswered on Monday, and the company's voicemail was full.

On its website, SmokeTokes advertises a variety of products including 'puff bars,' pipes, 'dab' tools, vaporizers, 'torches and butane,' and cartridges. 

The company says it is 'an international distributor and wholesaler of smoking and vaping products, and related accessories'.

The wall of flames shot out the building and burned seats inside a fire truck across the street 

The building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes, which is a supplier for makers of 'butane honey oil,' officials said 

Prange, the LAFD spokesman, said carbon dioxide and butane canisters were found inside the building but that it was still not clear what caused the blast.

Adam Spiker, executive director of the cannabis industry group Southern California Coalition, said he didn't know what activities were taking place inside the building. 

However, if the business was using butane in cannabis extraction it would be illegal because the city has never issued a license for that type of operation.

Because of safety concerns, such businesses are typically restricted to industrial areas and kept away from urban centers.

'If they were doing volatile extraction with butane ... they couldn't be legal in the city of LA to do those types of activities,' Spiker said.

He said the coalition was unaware of the business having any type of license and 'something about this doesn't pass the smell test'.

Information so far 'puts up a lot of alarm bells,' Spiker said.

In 2016, there was another major fire at a business called Smoke Tokes at a nearby address. 

The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that it took more than 160 firefighters to put out the blaze and that they encountered pressurized gas cylinders that exploded in the fire.

No one was injured in that fire. It was unclear whether that business and the one that burned Saturday were connected.