Fire Destroys Illegal, Multimillion-Dollar Marijuana Grow-Op

marijuana

Martin County Firefighters in Florida thought that they were showing up for an ordinary, if not huge, housefire on February 17th. What they didn’t know is that this was a massive blaze at an enormous, sophisticated, multimillion-dollar marijuana grow-op with as many as 600 plants inside a barn, kept climate controlled by thirty separate air-conditioning units and an absurd amount of wiring, but that was just the beginning. The 20-acre property would later be described as the largest marijuana growing operation found “in at least 20 years” according to the TC Palm.

Multimillion-Dollar Marijuana Grow-Op ‘Up In Smoke’

Beyond the barn, fire and law enforcement officials encountered, “An electrical nightmare…nitrous oxide in the back, propane and different things exploding as they got here,” according to Chief Deputy John Budensiek of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

Local News outlet WESH reported, “Officials said the power was pirated — stolen somehow from FPL.

“Quickly into the investigation into fighting the fire based on the smell they realized that they were fighting a fire involving a significant marijuana grow,” Budensiek said.

“Between six and eight people we think were living there, and it looks like they left in a hurry,” Budensiek said. “I think they knew when that fire kicked off that they had to get out.”

Sheriff’s Deputies reportedly found over 150lbs of marijuana already packaged for distribution. The structure described as a “pole-barn” was over 5,000 square feet.

“What was striking to us was just the amount of electricity that this place was generating,” he said.

Investigators reported that the growers were living in the house next door and don’t believe they started the fire on purpose, stating it appeared they left in a hasty fashion when it started.

The people left behind what officials are calling a multimillion-dollar pot operation. They said the growers likely harvested four times a year.”

Florida investigators are now combing the property for DNA evidence and fingerprints, but the fire will certainly impair their efforts. The house belongs to a Miami woman.

“The whole thing was clandestine, even the AC units — all 35 of them — were either hidden in the trees which kind of looked like a jungle … or they were covered in like a dark cloth, kind of like something you use in a nursery where water and a little bit of sunlight would come through but if you flew over in a helicopter or anything you will not see what was there,” Budensiek said.

“There’s a proper way to grow marijuana now, and an improper way and they chose the improper way,” Budensiek said.

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