Four youths were badly burned Sunday night after a leaky butane canister in a farm workers' residence blew up when ignited by a cigarette.
The group was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening burns to their faces, arms and upper bodies after the incident, which occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Peardonville Road.
Cst. Ian MacDonald of the Abbotsford Police Department said the boys were in their mid-teens, and three of them were visiting a fourth who lived there.
He described the residence as a makeshift, ramshackled building that was a pickers' residence for seasonal agricultural workers.
He said police were trying to determine if more than one canister exploded, and added the building had been severely damaged.
"A combination of cigarettes and butane canisters is not a good mix," said MacDonald.
Three of the teens remained in hospital on Monday. MacDonald had not confirmed the status of the fourth teen.
