Pubdate: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 Source: Surrey Now (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company Contact: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462 Author: Tom Zytaruk Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) DRUG SQUAD STUDIES RUINS Some 20 Whalley households were evacuated for several hours Monday afternoon as flames spat out from a rental house suspected to have contained an illegal methamphetamine lab. Traffic was rerouted as Surrey firefighters fought the blaze, which appears to have gutted the two-storey house at 12460 95A St. Firefighters and RCMP drug squad officers entered the charred house in grey Hazmat suits, looking for evidence yesterday morning. "Quite often there are some volatile products," Fire Capt. Marc Berube said. "When they're combined together it's possible they could be explosive in nature, but also the fumes can be quite toxic." Gurinder Kaur, next-door neighbour to the house, was one of the evacuated and described the fire as a "scary" situation. She added that she never saw anyone next door and wasn't even aware it was occupied. Other neighbours were more subdued in their comments, considering the literally explosive threat that drug labs pose. "There's always a concern but it's not surprising. It's Surrey, you know," resident Kai Laukien offered. One longtime resident who requested anonymity said she never saw anyone at the house. The blinds were always pulled on its windows, she said, and a "little red car" and black Mercedes SUV showed up once in awhile. Police did not return phone calls concerning the investigation. In an unrelated matter, Surrey firefighters are investigating a blaze that appears to have started in a fireplace and ate into the attic of a woodworking shop at 184th Street and Fraser Highway on Sunday afternoon. "The fire was difficult to fight," Berube said. - ---