A Madison man faces charges as part of an investigation into an apartment filled with volatile chemicals that forced the evacuation of 25 families. Thirty year-old Brian N. Campbell was arrested Tuesday morning.
Police and firefighters responding to an odor complaint at a west side apartment building found chemicals inside his unit that were deemed to have created a potentially volatile situation.
“When we first got there, there was enough sophistication that it had all the potential to be something flammable or could be a bomb,” Madison Police Chief Mike Koval said during a Tuesday evening news conference.
Residents were not allowed back into their homes Wednesday morning as investigators continued to evaluate the chemicals.
“There was such a mix of chemicals and flammable liquids that usually aren’t seen together,” Fire Chief Steve Davis said.
Experts from several federal agencies are collaborating to identify the chemicals and their potential use. “It could be anything from drug distribution, or could it be for bombs, or could it be for something unknown,” Koval said.
WIBA/WKOW