Man burned when a meth lab exploded in his lap, neighbor said

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By Erica Bennett

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A Bostwick man suffered burns to his upper body and both arms late Sunday night when a meth lab caught fire at his home, authorities said.

Jason Aaron May, 38, told police that he was “cooking meth” when it caught fire and exploded.

May was treated at the scene by Putnam County Fire Rescue, then flown by helicopter to UF Shands in Gainesville.

Lynn Renee Clouse, 30, who also lives in the home, told police that she heard May screaming and tried to put out the fire with a blanket.

Clouse was taken to the Putnam Community Medical Center, but did not appear to be burned.

"There was an explosion-type effect. We got up, the dog started barking, and I walked outside," neighbor Jesse White said. "There were four people inside that house at the time, which I knew, and one was running around stark naked and hollering, 'I'm burning, I'm burning. The meth burnt me.'"

A firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

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“That’s horrible. I can’t believe it,” Cora Smith said.

Smith knows the owner of the house. She told Action News ever since May started staying there, the place went downhill.

White told Action News Jax that the Department of Children and Families recently removed children from the home.

“People could have died. Meth is horrible and I’m so thankful that no one died though," Smith said, "That’s God watching over them people even though they shouldn’t have been doing that stuff.”

Officials say the property is a complete loss, and all evidence of a meth lab was burned. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is taking over the investigation.