A residential fire in Rock Springs unveiled a long list of criminal activity within. According to the Rock Springs Police Department, law agencies responded to the call of the house fire last Wednesday at approximately
10:05am
. With the help of 3 fire trucks and 11 fire department employees, the fire was extinguished within 7 minutes. As crews worked on hot spots, explosive material was discovered and the Sweetwater County Bomb Squad was called in. The neighborhood was then evacuated. In the meantime, Rock Springs PD secured a search warrant and a team conducted a search in full chemical suits and using self-containing breathing masks. The home contained a suspected meth lab and the team confiscated felony amounts of methamphetamine as well as marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The home owners, 42-year-old April Shurtleff and 50-year-old Gerald Shurtleff, fled the scene during the investigation. April Shurtleff was later arrested and charged with Felony Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Clandestine Lab Operations, and Child Endangerment with Methamphetamine. Gerald Shurtleff is still wanted and the public is urged to call Rock Springs Police at
307-352-1575
if they have any information on his whereabouts.
