Pubdate: Wed, 19 Apr 2000
Source: Richmond Review (CN BC)
Copyright: 2000 Richmond Public Library
Contact:  Unit 140 5671 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C.
Fax: (604) 606-8752
Website: http://www.rpl.richmond.bc.ca/community/RichmondReview/
Author: Martin van den Hemel

MAYOR VOWS GROW-OP CRACKDOWN

An early Sunday morning fire in a vacant two-storey home on Seacrest Road 
caused nearly a quarter-million dollars damage and also revealed some 
surprising contents: a marijuana grow operation.

The discovery came less than 48 hours before Richmond Mayor Greg 
Halsey-Brandt and Richmond RCMP Superintendent Ernie MacAulay announced a 
co-ordinated action plan to tackle the problem of illegal marijuana grow 
operations in the city.

"The statistics provided by the RCMP indicate a rapid escalation of illegal 
grow operations in our city," Halsey-Brandt said in a press release.

"It is essential that the property owners and their renters, real estate 
agents and property managers are provided with up-to-date information about 
the dangers associated with illegal grow operations, such as fire hazards 
and public safety issues, and the damage inflicted on their properties," 
Halsey-Brandt said in the release.

Although police weren't releasing statistics, RCMP Staff Sgt. Keith 
Hildebrand said the number of arrests, search warrants executed and 
marijuana plants seized are all "up significantly" from previous years.

He said he was gathering the exact numbers for MacAulay, who will be 
releasing them this morning (Wednesday).

Richmond Fire-Rescue's Gordon Gill told The Review that a passer-by who had 
just dropped off a friend around 2:20 a.m. noticed the distinct smell of 
smoke in the neighbourhood near No. 5 Road and Steveston Highway and drove 
around the well-kept neighbourhood searching for the source.

When he noticed smoke pouring out of the back of the house at 11340 
Seacrest Rd., he called 9-1-1 and apparently began knocking at the front 
door to alert anyone who may have been inside.

When fire crews arrived, they stumbled upon a marijuana grow operation 
inside the home, which from the outside was well maintained and not 
remarkably different from any of the other houses in the area.

Fire-Rescue's Gill said that fire crews discovered about 100 marijuana 
plants in addition to another 100 that had already been harvested.

The fire was caused by a short circuit in the wiring leading to one of the 
high intensity lamps that are used to help the plants grow.

The house was so tightly sealed that the fire continued to smoulder for two 
or three hours, consuming all of the oxygen inside and creating extremely 
high temperatures that turned the contents of a refrigerator to charcoal. 
The home's contents were burning, but there were no visible flames due to a 
lack of oxygen. A kitchen stove on the second storey also fell through the 
floor.

Fire crews had to cut a hole in the house's roof to ventilate the smoke.

Gill said the house is likely a write-off, sustaining about $227,000 damage.

It was sparsely furnished and there was no indication anyone was living 
there at the time of the blaze. There were no injuries.

Gill said he was surprised that nobody in the neighbourhood reported the 
house as a possible grow-operation.

The growing of marijuana gives off a distinct odour, smelling almost skunky.

One neighbour told The Review that she always wondered why the curtains 
were always closed.

The city will be hosting an information forum for landlords in the future. 
Details on that forum will be released today (Wednesday).
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