Man in Custody Allegedly Manufactured Hash Oil in Home Laboratory
By Jim Emerson
NOVATO — A food deliveryman is being held in custody in lieu of $500,000 bond. Brendan E.
Hummel, 42, of Novato, faces open charges involving the manufacture of hash oil. Evidence
of a clandestine laboratory was discovered following a house fire on Yukon Way.
Witnesses reported seeing a single-family house on fire. Firefighters and police responded on
September 15 around noontime. A thick growth of trees and bushes surrounds the
residence that caught on fire.
First responders took special precautions due to the nature of the fire and proximity to other
homes. While officers prepared to evacuate nearby homes, firefighters worked to extinguish
the flames. The fire was contained to the one house. Apparently, a hash oil extraction
laboratory inside the house burst into flames.
Novato police said in a prepared statement, “Investigators noticed evidence of manufacturing
of butane hash oil. Officers determined that Hummel inadvertently started the fire while
manufacturing butane hash oil.”
The process of extracting concentrated hash oil from cannabis plants is an extremely
dangerous fire hazard. Novato PD was assisted by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, which
has a specialized unit for dealing with such incidents.
Hummel was treated for a minor injury, before Novato police arrested him at 12:49 p.m. He
was transported to Marin County Jail. Hummel was booked for manufacturing a controlled
substance HSC 11379.6 (a).
