Homeless Medford Man Sentenced to Prison After Butane Hash Oil Explosion Ignites Fire at Shelter
MEDFORD, Ore. — A homeless Medford man, Steven Perron, 56, was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to arson in the Butane Hash Oil (BHO) explosion inside his tent at the Rogue Retreat Crossings homeless shelter last fall. Perron had used the BHO to manufacture marijuana extract.
BHO is a high-strength marijuana concentrate made through a process that carries significant fire and explosion risks and was identified as the cause of the fire.
Perron admitted to manufacturing marijuana extract inside his tent at Rogue Retreat Crossings on October 16, last year, when the explosion occurred.
The shelter at 722 Western Avenue is a 150-bed urban campground providing low-barrier shelter services for unhoused individuals in the Medford area.
Surveillance videos showed the blast’s proximity to nearby tents, including one that a sleeping resident occupied at the time of the explosion.
The incident sparked a fire, endangering the lives of nearby residents and staff at the shelter. Perron was hospitalized after suffering injuries in the blast.
Judge Christine Herbert sentenced Perron to the 40-month prison term recommended by the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, followed by three years of post-prison supervision after he pleaded guilty to Arson Incident to the Manufacture of a Cannabinoid Extract in the First Degree.
The danger Perron’s actions posed to others was a key factor in the sentencing decision.