Texas Meth Lab Operators Undeterred by Fire Danger

An arrest on Friday marked the 14th methamphetamine lab broken up in the last three months by Liberty County law-enforcers.

The Houston Chronicle reports that meth labs in the southeastern Texas county have become a serious problem, and operators of the labs are apparently undeterred by the dangerous risk of fire during one of the worst droughts in state history.

The sheriff’s office organized a five-member special unit in June to help combat the problem.

Liberty County sheriff’s Capt. Rex Evans said the labs pose an extreme fire and explosion hazard, “not only to the person manufacturing the product but to any persons within several hundred feet of whatever structure contains the lab.”