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A home fire in northeast Riverside early Thursday led to the discovery of a garage greenhouse filled with several hundred marijuana plants, authorities said.
A 52-year-old man living at the single-story home on Avenida Descanso was taken by air ambulance to UCSD Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to fire Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence.
Police officers arrived before firefighters and broke down the door to the home to rescue the man but he told police that the blaze reported by neighbors at 12:54 a.m. was out.
However, the first fire crew saw heavy smoke pouring from the roof of the residence and discovered that the fire was still active.
Lawrence said it took firefighters 15 minutes to knock down the flames, and another hour and 15 minutes to put out the fire. It had traveled up two walls and gotten into the attic over the well-insulated greenhouse, the battalion chief said.
As the firefighters entered the garage with hoselines, they discovered the elaborate greenhouse with the plants being cultivated by artificial lights, Lawrence said.
An arson investigator determined the blaze started in a wall where San Diego Gas & Electric Co. power lines had been illegally tapped for electricity, authorities said.
"These illegal power taps are installed before the residential power meter in an effort to hide the high electrical usage associated with indoor greenhouses," Lawrence said in a press statement.
An SDG&E technician had to cut power to the house from the street because firefighters were unable to safely secure the power to the house due to the illegal power tap.
Damage from the blaze was estimated at $45,000, Lawrence said.
Lawrence said although the garage filled up with smoke from the fire above, none of the marijuana plants burned.
Oceanside police are investigating the case, police Sgt. Leonard Mata said. Whoever is found to be responsible for the operation will face arrest for cultivation of marijuana, he said.
Mata said police were not able to provide a street value for the marijuana plants because they would have to be tested first for grade and strength. It was not yet known if the marijuana was being sold.
"Marijuana grows in homes are not unusual," Mata said.
A 52-year-old man living at the single-story home on Avenida Descanso was taken by air ambulance to UCSD Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to fire Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence.
Police officers arrived before firefighters and broke down the door to the home to rescue the man but he told police that the blaze reported by neighbors at 12:54 a.m. was out.
However, the first fire crew saw heavy smoke pouring from the roof of the residence and discovered that the fire was still active.
Lawrence said it took firefighters 15 minutes to knock down the flames, and another hour and 15 minutes to put out the fire. It had traveled up two walls and gotten into the attic over the well-insulated greenhouse, the battalion chief said.
As the firefighters entered the garage with hoselines, they discovered the elaborate greenhouse with the plants being cultivated by artificial lights, Lawrence said.
An arson investigator determined the blaze started in a wall where San Diego Gas & Electric Co. power lines had been illegally tapped for electricity, authorities said.
"These illegal power taps are installed before the residential power meter in an effort to hide the high electrical usage associated with indoor greenhouses," Lawrence said in a press statement.
An SDG&E technician had to cut power to the house from the street because firefighters were unable to safely secure the power to the house due to the illegal power tap.
Damage from the blaze was estimated at $45,000, Lawrence said.
Lawrence said although the garage filled up with smoke from the fire above, none of the marijuana plants burned.
Oceanside police are investigating the case, police Sgt. Leonard Mata said. Whoever is found to be responsible for the operation will face arrest for cultivation of marijuana, he said.
Mata said police were not able to provide a street value for the marijuana plants because they would have to be tested first for grade and strength. It was not yet known if the marijuana was being sold.
"Marijuana grows in homes are not unusual," Mata said.
