A house fire at the residence of Christopher Tackett, 2127 N. Fox Farm Road, Warsaw, at 2:48 p.m. Wednesday caused extensive damage.
The fire is believed to be related to the manufacture of methampetamine.
According to investigators, Tackett had used a burn barrel on the east side of the garage and then went back inside the house.
A passing motorist alerted him to the fire. The fire had spread from the barrel to dry grass, leaves and eventually to the detached garage, a connected breezeway and residence.
Police said fire personnel located suspicious items in the burn barrel associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine.
In the house, police said they found various ACL generators. Also inside the residence, police found a one-pot meth lab and what appeared to be an expended one-pot meth lab.
Tackett was arrested by the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine.
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, with assistance from Winona Lake Fire Department, Atwood Fire Department, Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service, and the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department were on the scene. Tackett suffered minor injuries from attempting to put the fire out and was treated by EMS at the scene. No damage estimate was provided.
