Burbank Police Find Suspected Meth Lab

For the first time in many years, authorities in Burbank uncovered a suspected methamphetamine lab on Friday, forcing the evacuation of five homes in the 2600 block of North Keystone Street, police said Saturday.

An acquaintance of the elderly woman who owns the vacant house notified police about 6:45 p.m. after he went to check on the home and discovered several unfamiliar items in the garage.

Police found materials including a plastic bucket, mason jars, up to 10 gallons of an unknown liquid and plastic tubing connecting the various jars and buckets, said Burbank Police Lt. Chris Welker. The liquid was turned over to the Justice Department for analysis.

Welker said “there was a strong chemical smell that’s associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine,” a powerful illegal stimulant.

The nearby residents were allowed to return home after the Los Angeles County Fire Department gave the all-clear. No one was injured and no one was in custody Saturday, Welker said.

It’s the strong smell and high volatility associated with methamphetamine labs that usually make them unlikely candidates for densely populated areas like suburban Burbank.

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Welker, who has been with the department for 23 years, said she can’t remember the last time police found such an operation in the city.

“Since we live in such a condensed situation, this would not be an ideal place to put one,” said Welker. “This is an unusual occurrence for our city.”