This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Rowland Heights House Fire Reveals Two-Story Pot-Growing Operation
Firefighters who went to put out a blaze in Rowland Heights at 11:00 p.m. yesterday found themselves, once the smoke settled, in the midst of a huge pot-growing operation.
KTLA reports that the two-story home was believed to be vacant, but in fact the clever pot-growers had boarded up the windows so neighbors couldn't see in, and had rewired the house to bypass the electrical meter. The rewire might have been the cause of the fire.
It's unclear whether or not the firefighters were working under a cloud of marijuana smoke, although KTLA does note that one was sent to the hospital after he reported feeling nauseous.
The case has been handed over to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.