Man treated for serious burns after explosion at midtown marijuana dispensary

A man is in non-life-threatening condition Friday night after an explosion rocked a midtown Toronto marijuana dispensary.

Fire crews were called just after 7:30 p.m. about reports of an explosion at Tweeder Medicinal in the Eglinton Avenue West and Avenue Road area.

The man was treated for serious burns and transported to a trauma centre, paramedics told CBC News.

Sgt. Rick Proctor with Toronto police says a cause for the explosion has yet to be determined.

"One person was in the basement, not clear what he was doing at this point in time," says Proctor.

"It appears right now that the explosion took place in the basement," he says, adding the man was taken toSunnybrookHospital.

Proctor also says there may have been another man at the dispensary at the time of the explosion who fled the scene.

"From my understanding, there may have been one more individual that wasn't injured, but he fled," he says.

Toronto Fire Capt. Michael Westwood told CBC News that investigators from theOntario Fire Marshal's officeare en route.

'They were doing a lot more in there'

Neighbourhood resident OlgaFowelltold CBC News residents have been warning about the dispensaryfor some time.

"We as a neighbourhood have been complaining about Tweeder," she says.

"It was operating as a 'supposed' medical marijuana shop, thenit was shut down" by Municipal Licensing and Standards, she adds.

CBC was unable to verify Fowell's claim.

"I have a neighbour, hecopied me on an email to Coun. [Josh] Matlow, and said, 'I want you to be aware they've re-opened their doors.' "

"They had asign in their front door saying they were only selling vapours and glassware, but clearly, they weren't.They were doing a lot more in there," she says.

"This needs to be an example of why we can't have these types of establishments running illegally," Fowell adds.

"Not now or in the future."