Jessika Harkay
Hartford Courant
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. — Willimantic police, firefighters and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to a fire involving “a one-pot methamphetamine lab,” officials said Monday afternoon.
The fire broke out at an apartment complex located on 560 Main St., Will Healey of DEEP, said in a news release.
“The building was evacuated. Environmental Services, Inc., has been contracted to secure the chemicals,” he said. “DEEP and other emergency services personnel remain on scene while the scene is being processed.”
Firefighters told residents to avoid the area around noon.
“Willimantic fire fighters are on scene of a fire that has been extinguished in an apartment complex on Main Street in the area of the frog bridge,” they wrote on Facebook. “Crews are remaining on scene for an extended period of time. Main Street will remain shut down from just after the frog bridge to Clark street.”
By 7:30 p.m., Healey said that the DEEP Emergency Response Unit “concluded their involvement,” at the scene.
“Two of the units in the building remain unfit for occupancy per an order from the local health department,” he said. “All immediately hazardous materials/chemicals have been removed. The rest of the building can be re-occupied.”
Willimantic police did not comment or provide updates regarding the investigation, but a dispatcher said that officers had cleared the scene by Monday evening.
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