Pubdate: Mon, 22 Mar 2004
Source: London Free Press (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media Corporation.
Contact:  http://www.lfpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243
Author: Jennifer O'Brien

POT GROW HOUSES SPARK FIRE FEARS

The increase in marijuana grow houses in London is jeopardizing the lives 
of firefighters, a platoon chief says. "The danger in these places is you 
have a building where people are doing subversive activities that require 
more heat or more energy," London platoon fire Chief David Van Dijk said.

"But it's makeshift, it's not done up to code and it generates a lot of 
potential for electrocution.

"We are not in the position to sit and check out a residence for a while," 
he added.

"We get the call because there is trouble, we roar in and do our thing. We 
don't know what we're facing in there."

Firefighters discovered a grow house inside a Huron Street residence while 
dousing an electrical blaze Friday.

After the blaze was out, leaving about $20,000 worth of damage, police 
seized more than 70 marijuana plants and grow equipment.

Van Dijk said grow operations create dangerous situations for firefighters, 
usually unaware of suspicious situations before entering buildings.

"There's more potential for fires in these places and then we have our 
people going in, throwing water around on live electricity and improvised 
wiring," he said.

"What raises my ire is my people are exposed to conditions that are 
contaminated . . . and they are subjected to extra negatives, like exposed 
wires."

London police have said they could raid a house used to grow pot every day 
if they had the time. Last year, they busted 86 grow operations and are on 
the same pace this year.

This year, however, police have seen three cases in which an entire home 
was used solely for the purpose of growing marijuana.

Grow houses are 40 times more likely than other homes to catch fire, police 
said.

Neither police nor fire officials have said if the Huron Street fire was 
caused by the grow equipment.

The equipment used to grow pot often requires extra electricity and heat, 
said Van Dijk.

"In the city, they hook in cables and run raw power through extension 
cords," he said, adding the makeshift power setups often trigger electrical 
fires.

Lights used in grow operations have also been known to ignite wooden joists.

While he did not know of any London firefighters injured in grow-house 
fires, Van Dijk said "it is always on the back of their minds." 
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman