Here is what happens when you have a house, and when you do labs with drugs...
Police detectives sealed off the charred remains of a home located in the 1500 block of Sanko Avenue in Ceres on Sunday. Officials also were trying to get a search warrant because they believed a meth lab caused the 12:07 p.m. explosion.
DEBBIE NODA/THE BEE
Blast startles neighbors, levels house
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Blast startles neighbors, levels house
By PATRICK GIBLIN
BEE STAFF WRITER
Published: May 12, 2003, 01:06:49 PM PDT
CERES -- An explosion lifted a home off its foundation and shook the surrounding neighborhood Sunday afternoon. "It was really loud," said Niki Youthsavath, who lives three doors down from the house. "I thought a bomb had gone off."
Police detectives sealed off the charred remains of the house Sunday evening and were trying to get a search warrant; they believed a methamphetamine lab caused the 12:07 p.m. blast in the 1500 block of Sanko Avenue.
Witnesses saw two people run from the house after the explosion; it was not clear if they lived there. Investigators were trying to locate the occupants Sunday night.
Michael Conley, who lives across the street from Youthsavath, said he saw a man and woman run from the house.
"The man looked like he had some chemical burns to his arm and he looked badly injured," Conley said. "Someone yelled they would call an ambulance but he kept running."
Police officers and firefighters found the house fully engulfed in flames, said Sgt. David Van Diemen with the Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency.