Body found in Johnston County fire

Sunday, March 10, 2013

The fire began Saturday morning in the barn behind a home on N.C. Highway 301 South in Four Oaks.

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johnston county, fire, local/state

FOUR OAKS, N.C. (WTVD) -- One person was killed in a barn in Johnston County, and authorities said the building was being used as a meth lab.

The fire began Saturday morning in the barn behind a home on U.S. Highway 301 South in Four Oaks.

After an investigation, officials found the body, along with drug paraphernalia. Officials have not released the gender of the person. The body was taken to the Medical Examiner's office in Chapel Hill.

The fire was so large that a mobile home park near the residence was evacuated.

A neighbor told ABC11 that word spread quickly about the illegal drug operation going on inside the barn.

"They told me it was a meth lab explosion. We were really scared, and we smelled some funny fumes when we came out of our homes. It smelled really bad," nearby resident Karen Cannada said.

Cannada, along with everyone else, was allowed to return to her home later in the day.