BUFFALO, N.Y. — Four people are charged with several felonies after Buffalo Police uncovered a meth lab operation in the City's Riverside neighborhood.

About six ounces of methamphetamine and four guns were found at the home in the first block of Chadduck Avenue Tuesday. 

A 28-year-old suspect was found at ECMC's burn unit after police say there was an explosion when he was trying to make the drug just before Thanksgiving. 

Police say a 5-month-old baby also lived at the home and was there during meth-making operations. Authorities say the child appeared to be OK and is being cared for by other family members. Child Protective Services is investigating.

"Just the venting of these gases from this process are lethal if you inhale them. Extremely explosive. Extremely corrosive. Just spilling this stuff on you can give you burns," said Captain Jeff Rinaldo of the Buffalo Police Department.

Rinaldo added, "The evidence showed that they had done this time and time again. I believe one of the numbers quoted was as many as 50 times prior that they had manufactured this. And what's really disturbing in this case is that you had a 5-month-old baby who was in the premises while this was occurring and the weapons in the house were not secured. One was actually found near the baby's crib."

It's the second meth lab bust in Buffalo in the span of two weeks. Police arrested two men in connection with a meth lab found in a South Buffalo home last Monday night. A DEA official says there has been an increase in meth lab busts.

"The manufacturing side of it seems to be on an uptick here locally. Methamphetamine is a very big West Coast drug. It's been there for a number of years. But unfortunately, like all things, it started to make its way this way," said Rinaldo.

Kelly Whitman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has helped people with substance abuse disorders in Western New York for about six years. She says they have seen a slight uptick recently in people using methamphetamine.

"It's like a party drug that you'll see used. A lot of times, if a person is using meth, there will be other substances with it, like pills, marijuana, because it gives you that high," said Whitman.

At this point, Whitman says she's not overly concerned because the increase isn't dramatic, and it still ranks among the less-used drugs in the area.

"With all the attention that is on the opioid epidemic, I think we need to be mindful that there are other substances out there that people are struggling with .They're all treatable. So we have to be careful that we don't ignore the other substances that need to be addressed," said Whitman.