Pubdate: Tue, 25 May 2004 Source: Surrey Now (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company Contact: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462 Author: H. Buster Burwash FIRE PROVES THAT DRUGS ARE DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE The Editor, Re: "Families flee fire with their lives," the Now, April 24. On April 22 at 4 a.m. our home in the Green Timbers-Bear Creek Park area was destroyed by a fire that originated in a marijuana grow-up in the house next door. It was a horrifying ordeal and if not for the watchful eye and quick thinking of a neighbour there may have been a tragic loss of lives as well. Up until now I have viewed the marijuana grow industry in the Lower Mainland as a benign presence. In fact I've taken a "soft" approach to the issue probably because I, too, enjoy a taste of the bud now and then. We had no idea the house next to us was a grow-op, but if I had known I'd probably have turned a blind eye not realizing it posed a danger to myself and my family. Needless to say my attitude has changed considerably. Not only did we lose our home to the bud industry, we were forced to relocate outside our neighbourhood because the availability of homes on the rental market has all but dried up. Rents are artificially high as a result too, compounding our dilemma. Law enforcement officials say the situation is "epidemic" estimating 4,500 homes housing grow-ops in Surrey alone. They also say they are powerless to make a difference citing a lack of resources and manpower to fight the growing problem. I believe the provincial government must take immediate action. Legislation is required to put the onus of responsibility on the owners of these rental properties. No longer is the argument that "I didn't know" excusable when it comes to these "growing factories." If a homeowner is allowed to profit from these operations, he or she should also be held accountable for their existence and be prepared to pay a heavy price when they're discovered. I suspect the "I didn't know" argument would all but disappear if homeowners knew they faced an enormous fine or the loss of their property due to the discovery of a marijuana factory. On a more positive note, I'd like to acknowledge and thank our neighbours, friends, co-workers and all the emergency service workers whose support and caring was incredible in the aftermath of our ordeal. On behalf of my family, I especially want to thank the Surrey firefighters whose bravery, compassion, caring and generosity will never be forgotten. H. Buster Burwash Surrey - --- MAP posted-by: Josh