GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Methamphetamine lab explosions usually harken images of rural shacks and rundown mobile home parks. But on Saturday, the scene of the crime was a high-end condominium development in the heart of Grand Rapids’ West Side.
Union Square Condominiums on Broadway Avenue is a hot spot to live for upwardly mobile young professionals. But on Saturday just before 5 p.m., police say it was the scene of a small explosion and fire caused by a “small pot operation,” where toxic, combustible chemicals used to make meth are mixed in small plastic containers.
Michigan State Police say the blast left a 39-year-old man with burns on his face and hands. He was discovered hiding in a closet as building sprinklers doused the flames and firefighters worked the scene.
The man has at least one previous meth-related conviction. He left the hospital and is now on the loose.
A note sent to residents by the condominium association assured residents that the clean-up is underway and that there only small quantities of hazardous materials on the scene.
The cleanup continues and the people who lived below the second-floor condo where the fire happened suffered significant water damage.