Two arrested after motel room fire

Jackson County authorities say a small fire in a room at Microtel on Highway 71 near Interstate 10 Saturday began as the result of someone’s attempt to make methamphetamine.
Two county residents have been arrested in the case and charged with the attempted manufacture of a controlled substance.
Sneads resident Alicia F. Baxter, 29, was arrested Sunday, but has since bonded out of jail.
Grand Ridge resident Noah Damian Johnson, 25,  received second-degree burns on his hands, arms and neck in the one-room fire on the third floor.
Johnson was arrested Monday after initial treatment of his injuries. He remained at the Jackson County jail as of late Monday afternoon.
According to Jackson County Drug Task Force leader Joey Rabon, the fire is believed to have started when lithium battery strips came into contact with water, a combination that causes the strips to ignite.
Rabon said firefighters arrived to find the motel’s sprinkler system had doused the fire late Saturday night. Firefighters then called law enforcement because they saw suspicious materials in the room.
Inside, Rabon said law enforcement officials found digital scales, coffee filters containing crushed pseudoephedrine pills, lithium metal, sulfuric acid, fertilizer, lye, camp fuel and Liquid Fire, a drain-opening agent. All the substances, Rabon said, are commonly associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine and most are associated with the “shake ‘n bake” method.
Rabon said Baxter and Johnson had allegedly fled by the time personnel arrived, but were eventually identified as suspects. The room had been rented in Baxter’s name, Rabon said.
The hotel had to be evacuated when the fire was discovered, and Microtel general manager Lisa Goff said the process took only five minutes, even with a full house that evening.
“I’d actually trained the whole staff on evacuation, and they knew exactly what to do,” Goff said. “We had a packed house, but everyone was out and in the parking lot in about five minutes.”
She said this was the first such experience the hotel has ever had to face.
“This is not something that happens to us, it’s the first time, and I just wanted to thank the sheriff’s department, EMS, the firefighters for responding as quickly as they did and taking care of us so well,” Goff said. “They did a phenomenal job.”
Rabon in turn thanked the Microtel staff, saying they handled the crisis in a very professional manner.
Because of the fire and water damage on two floors, staff had to find a few guests other places to stay for the night, but it was necessary to block off only a few rooms.  The rest, Goff said, “are great and rentable.”
“The hotel is in business and has been in contact with professional clean-up companies that specialize in decontamination of meth lab-affected areas,” stated a press release Monday from the drug task force. “Microtel is taking all steps necessary to ensure the safety of their customers and the public. (It) is currently open for business and all rooms not affected by the fire are available for rent.”
The Jackson County Drug Task Force is a cooperative effort of the Graceville, Marianna and Cottondale police departments, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.