Crime & Safety
Firefighters Responding to Fire Discover Marijuana Grow Operation in Boarded Up Home
The fire was reported late Thursday night, according to fire officials.
By Bay City News—
Firefighters responding to a small fire at a home in Hayward late Thursday night found a large marijuana grow operation there, a fire department spokesman said.
The fire was reported at 11:54 p.m. at 23511 Stonewall Ave. and firefighters arrived to see a smoking electrical line that connected to the house, Hayward fire spokesman Don Nichelson said.
After the small fire was extinguished along the electrical wire, crews tried to see if flames extended into the home but the residence "was boarded up really securely," Nichelson said.
Firefighters suspected the house was being used to grow marijuana and notified police. They also discovered the residents had bypassed the PG&E meter for electricity, Nichelson said. Crews eventually cut a hole into the garage to gain entry to the home and determined there was no further fire damage, he said.
Investigators found "quite a bit" of marijuana plants inside the home but no residents were inside, Nichelson said. The case remains under investigation by Hayward police.
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