Cass County Drug Enforcement Team announced Monday that on Saturday, July 17, at approximately 10 p.m. they were contacted by Wayne Township Fire Department regarding a fire of suspicious origin in the 16000 block of Parker Street in Volinia Township.

Cass County sheriff’s deputies and the fire department arrived at the scene of a house fire and made observations that led them to believe a methamphetamine laboratory may have been responsible for the origin of the blaze.

The occupant of the residence had already been transported from the scene by a private vehicle and was not on scene when fire officials and deputies arrived.

It was later determined that the resident, a 26-year-old male subject, arrived at Lake View Hospital in Paw Paw.

He was subsequently transferred to Bronson Burn Center at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, where he was reported in stable condition.

Investigators from the drug team obtained a search warrant for the residence and ultimately recovered evidence of a methamphetamine laboratory and numerous methamphetamine-related laboratory components.

This investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Anyone with information on this case or any other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Cass County tip line at 1-800-462-9328.