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Last updated on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
(BROWNSTOWN) - A weekend report of a grass fire south of town led to the arrest of a Jackson County man on drug charges.
Brandon L. Darkis, 31, Brownstown, was booked into Jackson County Jail at 11:54 p.m. Saturday on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of two or more precursors and possession of hypodermic needle, police said.
Jackson County Sheriff's Department Officer Adam Nicholson said Sunday he responded to a report of a grass fire around 11 p.m. Saturday on Raymond Drive just south of Brownstown.
At the scene, Nicholson found Darkis in the area of the fire along with several items associated with the cooking of methamphetamine.
"Darkis had been seen by subjects in the area putting the fire out after a meth lab had caught fire in a grassy area," Nicholson said Sunday afternoon.
The fire occurred in Darkis' backyard, Nicholson said. Members of the Indi¬ana State Police Meth Lab team, Marty Mead and Bryce Harris, to the scene to dismantle the lab, Nicholson said.
Sheriff's Deputy Ben Rudolph assisted at the scene, as well, along with officers Steve Scarlett and Joe Kelley of Brownstown Police Department and the Brownstown Fire Department.
"There were two rings of fire, probably 20 feet total of burned grass," Nicholson said.
No homes or buildings were threatened, he added.
Although Darkis had extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived, they remained on the scene once it was determined a meth lab had caused the fire to protect against the fire rekindling, Nicholson said.
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