Man severely burned in drugs lab inferno

By PATRICK GOWER and LOUISA CLEAVE

A man was seriously injured when a methamphetamine lab exploded in a quiet Auckland cul-de-sac yesterday.

The man staggered out on to the street with severe burns as the blaze swept through the house, destroying a garage and a bedroom and nearly spreading to a neighbouring unit.

He was in a very serious condition last night and was being operated on at Middlemore Hospital.

Neighbours called 111 after hearing a loud bang and seeing thick black smoke billowing from the brick house in Harvey Place, Kohimarama.

The man managed to stagger up to a neighbouring driveway, where a woman began dousing him with a garden hose as he lay on his back, groaning in agony.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus attacked the blaze, which Senior Station Officer Peter Mills said was ferocious, with the "blackest smoke we had seen for some time".

The fire had started in an internal garage, gutting a car that was kept inside.

It was thought the man had then escaped through the house because another car was parked across the outside, blocking the tilt door.

The fire spread inside and into the roof, although a firewall stopped it from spreading next door.

Mr Mills said there were a number of "bangs and pops" from the fire. The man, aged 30, was "burned big-time", said neighbours.

One woman kept her 3-year-old son inside to keep him from seeing his injuries.

Neighbours said the house was owned by a "very nice" grandmother, who was away. They did not know the man, who they thought was a friend of the owner's grandson.

A specialist police team will continue to investigate whether it was a lab producing pure methamphetamine, known as P, today.

A container of chemicals used in its production were found in the garage.

Detective Senior Sergeant Lance Burdett said methamphetamine labs used a "cocktail of dangerous chemicals".

About 150 labs have been closed this year, compared with 147 last year.


Herald Feature: The P epidemic