Around 420 marijuana plants — totaling $420,000 — were seized from grow op in the city’s north end after members of the London police and RCMP executed a search warrant at the location on Thursday (Feb. 2).
The police were alerted to the suspected marijuana grow operation at the Lindisfarne Road home, after the London Fire Department responded to a blaze at the home Thursday morning. The fire department reported they saw a grow op and a hydro bypass set up in the residence.
Six fire crews arrived at the Lindisfarne Road house Thursday morning and broke the windows of the home to let out the heavy smoke billowing from the first and second floors.
“I just heard the first siren and so I went running out and there was just a little bit of smoke, not much at all,” said nearby neighbour Dave Andrews. “Within two minutes it got darker and darker. I actually went out in my backyard and there was more smoke coming from the back of the house.”
No one was inside the home at the time of the fire and there were no injuries. Damages to the home are estimated at $100,000, according to the fire department.
The cause of the blaze hasn’t been determined yet, but the Ontario Fire Marshall continues to investigate the case. No charges have been laid at this time.
For Andrews, the possibility of illegal activity going on just a few houses down from him is quite the shock.
“It sort of ticks me off that someone would do that,” Andrews said, referring to speculation that a marijuana grow op is the reason for the blaze. “(My wife and I) just went for a walk two nights ago and were saying, ‘Boy, this is such a quiet neighbourhood’.”
A neighbour, who asked his name not be used, said he had never met the occupants of the house. He described one man as Asian and said they passed each other in their driveways but never had a conversation.
