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Updated 08/10/2012 01:08 PM

SBI investigates meth lab after explosion at north Raleigh home

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RALEIGH -- Ralph Bradsher was charged with maintaining a dwelling and vehicle for a controlled substance. This comes after the SBI discovered a meth lab in his North Raleigh home on Pidgeon Hill Road.

Raleigh police and other agencies spent more than 12 hours on the scene at Bradsher's North Raleigh home, cleaning up the chemicals from a homemade meth lab.

"I've been here 16 years and I've never had to deal with anything like this," said Scott Mayes, a nearby resident.

Mayes and his daughter Jill had to park down the street during the investigation. Raleigh police didn't evacuate neighbors from their homes, but that didn't put their mind at ease.

“This is a very quiet neighborhood. All the neighbors get along and to have something like this happen is disheartening,” added Mayes.

Crews were called out to the scene of a house fire and explosion Thursday night. When they spotted hazardous materials they called HAZMAT to help out.

“When they went inside they saw materials that were consistent with the meth lab,” said Raleigh police Captain CA Carrigan.

Police said that Ralph Bradsher was the only one home at the time. Crews had to decontaminate him before he was taken to jail.

“We have now removed any kind of dangerous materials from the house, so the house is safe now,” added Capt.Carrigan.

Though Capt. Carrigan said that neighbors weren't in too much danger from this incident, nearby residents like Mayes are ready for his street to return to its quiet state.

“Let's do whatever needs to be done so we can go back to have a peaceful neighborhood,” said Mayes.

Ralph Bradsher remains in the Wake County Jail on at $25,000 bond. The case is still under investigation.