Authorities discovered a marijuana grow operation inside a Spring Valley home Tuesday after a fire sparked at the residence, officials confirmed.
Just after 9 a.m., crews responded to reports of a structure fire at 10154 Campo Rd.
Upon arrival, Cal Fire San Miguel Battalion Chief Andy Menshek said crews could see smoke and fire shooting through the windows and roof of the residence.
Menshek said firefighters tried to access the home, but all of the doors were “fortified with extra bars and security devices,” so they were unable to get inside at first.
Crews quickly determined the cause of the fire was from an illegal electrical connection running from the house to an adjacent power pole.
Menshek said it appeared the resident or residents had somehow climbed to the top of the power pole, hooked directly into the power source and brought the electricity inside the house.
The fire was caused by the illegal hookup to the pole, he said.
Fighting the fire became very dangerous for crews because the power could not be turned off at the meter.
Local
Once crews made it inside, firefighters discovered a marijuana growing operation. Details on the exact number plants and estimated street value of the marijuana were not released, but Menshek said between 50 and 100 plants were discovered at the scene.
He said investigators believe the residents had illegally tapped into the power source in order to bypass the meter and avoid detection for generating all the power used in the grow operation.
Officials said residents were not home at the time of the fire, but a pit bull was found on the property. The dog was turned over to Animal Control.
The San Miguel Fire District will handle the investigation into the fire, which caused approximately $40,000 in damage to the structure. San Diego Gas & Electric will cover the electricity theft portion of the investigation. Officials from the Narcotics Task Force will take the lead into the investigation of the marijuana grow operation.
As of Tuesday evening, no arrests had been made.
