On October 23, 2018 at about 7:36 PM the Linn County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a loud explosion in the 37000 block of River Drive in Lebanon, Oregon. It was reported to be a drug lab explosion and there was someone badly injured. When deputies arrived they found evidence of an explosion and fire damage to a conex style box trailer. Lebanon Fire Department and members of the Albany Fire Department Hazardous Materials team responded.
26 year old, Nicholas Helms, a Lebanon resident, had been transported to the Lebanon Community Hospital with over 50% of his body burned. Helms was later transported to OHSU.
Members of the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement (LINE) taskforce were called to the scene and began an investigation. Evidence of an illegal BHO lab was seized along with multiple pounds of marijuana, US currency and firearms.
The Oregon State Police Explosives Unit was called to the scene for blasting caps found at the location.
Anyone with information about the explosion is encouraged to contact LINE at 541-791-0102.
The LINE Taskforce was established as a result of Linn County being designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2016. The team is comprised of investigators from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Albany Police Department, Lebanon Police Department, Sweet Home Police Department, Oregon State Police, Eugene office of Drug Enforcement Administration and Oregon National Guard Counterdrug Task Force.
The mission of LINE is to reduce illegal drug trafficking in the Linn County area by identifying, disrupting, or dismantling drug trafficking and money laundering organizations through cooperative efforts, enforcement, and intelligence sharing by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.