Madison County Sheriff Ben Stewart reports that on Sunday night, May 31, at 10:03 p.m., deputies responded to a residential mobile home fire located at 716 SE Levy Drive in Lee, Fl. Upon arrival deputies found that the majority of the residence was fully engulfed in flames. Deputies determined that no one remained inside the mobile home and further discovered that the resident who lived there had departed and was driving themselves to the Madison County Memorial Hospital Emergency Room to be treated for burns.
Deputies detected a strong chemical odor that is commonly associated with methamphetamine manufacturing. After Fire Units extinguished the fire, Drug Task Force investigators responded to the scene to conduct an investigation. Investigators located a witness who claimed to be present when the fire started. The witness reported that a male subject was “cooking meth” inside the mobile home when it exploded. Investigators were able to confirm this account when they interviewed the burn victim at the hospital. The fire destroyed any collectable evidence and caused major damage to the mobile home, however investigators have identified the male who was reported to be the person “cooking meth” and are currently attempting to locate him. The investigation remains on going.