Local

Homes evacuated due to meth-related incident in Mableton

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Local residents were forced from their homes after smoke poured from a house and a chemical smell filled the air Friday night.

Police temporarily blocked off Oak Hills Road in Mableton for hours to investigate what the DEA is calling a meth-related incident.

Police were called out to a disturbance at the neighborhood after Ed Langenfeld spotted trouble.

"I looked out of the window and there was smoke rolling out of the front and back of the house," Langenfeld said.

He said he called the homeowner who was at work and they later both ran in and saw one of the residents still inside.

When officers arrived, they proceeded cautiously and detained the man in the home. Officers suspected drug-related activity and called in the DEA.

Authorities said it is a meth-related investigation, and that comes as no surprise to many who live here.

"Just the amount of traffic that goes in and out of that house and the weird smells always coming from over there,"  said neighbor Devin Prevost.

"When I came outside of the house all you could smell was chlorine and muriatic acid,” Langenfeld said.

Several homes were evacuated in the area.

“People have jobs, people have places to go. This is a huge inconvenience," Prevost said.

Langenfeld was angered by the thought of his grandchildren being put in harm's way.

"The police have been here two to three times a week. Maybe now this will take care of the problem," Langenfeld said.

When asked if there was anything illegal going on at the house, the man detained said, “I didn’t do anything.”

Neighbors said the homeowner took in a couple of homeless men. They were among those detained tonight.

Several people were detained and one was driven from the scene.