PORTAGE, Mich. – Police say a methamphetamine lab is what caused recent fire that displaced more than 40 apartment residents.
That fire happened at the Briargate Apartments on January 4th. Firefighters had arrived to flames coming out of a window on the top floor of one of the buildings. It took about an hour to get the fire under control because a ceiling had collapsed.
Upon further investigation and interviews, detectives determined that a meth lab caused the blaze. They will be submitting warrant requests for multiple persons of interest in the case, one of whom has already been arrested on unrelated drug charges. That individual has been identified as John Shank.
Some of the Portage officers who assisted in the arrest were engaged in the new Data Driven Approach to Crime & Traffic Safety (DDACTS) program.
Anyone with further information about this fire is asked to call police at 269-329-4567 or get in touch with Silent Observer.
4 Comments to “Meth Lab Ruled as Cause of Portage Apartment Fire”
January 10, 2013 at 6:15 AM
Another meth lab and another apt. fire, poor Portage, more budget cuts. Bad news.
January 10, 2013 at 9:32 AM
Feel bad for the families that lost there apts. All Because of this a*hole trying to get high!! Its not just Portage that has been gradually getting worse with “meth issues”…i think its been all of Southwest Michigan.
January 10, 2013 at 9:45 AM
Charge them with attempted murder 1 charge for each resident that might make some of them think twice as they dont care who they hurt.
But please lets not wait until innocent people are hurt or killed form the clareless act by others a law must be put in place ASAP Thank You .
January 28, 2013 at 5:43 PM
Not only should they be charged with having the meth lab but they should be charge with the fact they had two amazing kids in that apartment while making it, not including all the other people they have caused trouble for! both parents need to be charged not just the one and the kids should be taken and giving to family who will love them. these people make me sick to my stomach. how dare them use the media and say they didnt know what was going on knowing they where the cause of it all!!!