Police are searching for a couple and their young child who are believed to have fled a house that caught on fire early this morning when a suspected methamphetamine lab exploded.
Police said they are looking for Aaron Neal, 34, and Kim Neil, age unknown, who fled the house at 3106 Umatilla Street with their one-year-old daughter. Police are particularly concerned about the toddler’s health and if she was in contact with the hazardous ingredients in methamphetamine.
The three were last seen leaving the area in a 1985 gray or black van, possibly a Volkswagen, in very poor condition.
Firefighters arrived at the residence at 3:11 a.m., with flames and heavy smoke coming from the house. Some 36 firefighters responded and were able to contain the fire within 15 minutes, said spokesman Lt. Phil Champagne. The fire was fully extinguished in 20 minutes, he said.
The owner of an apartment building next door told firefighters that the two adults and child might be trapped in the burning house. But firefighters found no one inside and police could not find them in the nearby area.
“After the smoke cleared, we discovered equipment for manufacturing meth, so we called the hazmat team and police,” Champagne said. “We checked our firefighters but no one showed any levels of hazardous material that we were concerned about.”
The house received heavy damage from the fire, including structural damage. The occupants will be displaced, Champagne said.
Police have secured the scene to investigate whether the house contained a meth lab.
