A square block of Whalley was evacuated Wednesday afternoon as a home nearby began spewing chemical fumes from a clandestine lab used to make methamphetamine.
At about noon Wednesday, firefighters responded to what was thought to be a fire at 134 Street and 111A Avenue.
The resident of the home met fire crews at the front of the house and said there was nothing to worry about and suggested they should just move on.
Police arrived and the man was gone.
What initially was thought to be a fire turned out to be plumes of chemicals, used for making the drug methamphetamine which caused the evacuation of 20 people within a square block of the property.
As of 2 p.m., crews were still waiting for the chemical plumes to subside.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes by Wednesday night.
Police continue to look for the man from the home, described as an Asian male between 30 and 40 years old.
