A possible meth lab explosion in Decatur left a woman badly burned Monday evening, authorities said.
The victim apparently drove herself to Parkway Medical Center following the incident shortly after 6 p.m. at 810 1/2 Bradley St. S.W., firefighters said.
"She had extensive burns," said acting Decatur Fire Marshal Jason Jones. "I'm not sure as far as whether she's going to be kept here. I figure she'll probably be going to UAB's burn facility."
Jones said he couldn't release the woman's identity yet.
A swarm of police, firefighters and utility workers responded and closed the roadway briefly after a frantic woman called in the fire to 911.
Acting Decatur Fire Chief Darwin Clark said they were taking precautions because the origin of the fire appeared to be chemical, possibly a one-pot meth lab.
"They're not positive," Clark said. "Police are looking at it. Whatever it was, it blew up."
Narcotics agents and a crime scene technician were investigating at the scene. One donned a Hazmat suit to search the house.
Marie Kelley said a man named Timothy Neil rents the smaller home where the fire happened behind her 810 Bradley St. S.W. house.
She said she wasn't aware of the fire until responders arrived, and she hadn't seen anyone leaving the scene.
Jones said he was unsure where the victim lives.
He said the woman who called in the fire may have been the victim.
Dispatchers advised firefighters en route that a meth lab might be involved, Jones said.
"There was a small fire, nothing large scale," he said.
"There were some garments and stuff that were still burning."
He said a Hazmat crew decontaminated the victim and health care workers who had contact with her at Parkway.
Copyright 2012 - The Decatur Daily, Ala.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
