Firefighters found a suspected drug lab while battling a blaze in a Burnaby home Friday night.
Burnaby fire crews were called to the house on the 5400-block of Manor Street after reports of a fire in the basement.
The residents of the house got out safely and were then detained for questioning by RCMP after the suspected drug operation was discovered.
Burnaby Fire Department Deputy Chief Dave Samson said members of his crew noticed the suspected lab while extinguishing the fire.
“Products of a clandestine drug lab obviously is a big danger to a firefighter, so at that point we retreated from the building,” he said.
Samson said fire crews identified cooking products that are used in drug labs.
Police believe the home was being used as a solvent extraction lab, where chemicals from common medications are drawn out and later used to produce illegal drugs.
Hazmat crews attended the scene and residents of neighbouring buildings were evacuated.
“It was just a lot of fumes and burning, no one expected it to be a chemical burn,” said neighbour Kimberly Valle. “It’s quite scary. I mean, you really don’t know who your neighbours are.”
Fire crews were called back to the house around three a.m. after the fire reignited. No one was injured.
The RCMP and drug team are investigating and the cause of the fire is still unknown.
Earlier this week two large-scale drug labs were raided in Abbotsford where authorities found methamphetamine.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Roberts
