LATEST STORIES:

Grimsby pot greenhouse goes up in smoke

Share this story...

Three separate fire investigations are on the go in Niagara region tonight.
The most serious was in Grimsby where a medical marijuana greenhouse went up in flames on Saturday afternoon. But when the smoke cleared investigators uncovered an illegal hash oil manufacturing operation.

When firefighters got to the scene on Sobey Road in Grimsby Saturday afternoon, they saw lots of smoke and flames shooting from the middle of a huge greenhouse.

Chief Mike Cain, Grimsby Fire Dept.: “The wind was very strong coming from the north. It did help spread the fire but it did help control the fire as well. Coming from the north it was pushing the fire out of the building as opposed to through the banks of greenhouse.”

The roof collapsed as a part of the structure was destroyed. The owners did have a licence to grow medical marijuana under the old rules, but what invesigators found going on in there is criminal. They uncovered a hash oil production facility. Making hash oil is not only illegal, the alcohol used is very flammable and dangerous.

Chief Cain: “We chose not to bring in heavy equipment at this time to preserve whatever evidence we could.”

Investators from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office and the Niagara Police Gangs and Grows Unit were on scene today. Dressed in protective suits, they were bringing out plants and other evidence.

If you look at the greenhouse today, much of it’s still intact.

The fire department got there quickly — in a matter of minutes — Saturday afternoon. The equipment and much of its manpower were lined up in the Grimsby Christmas parade. And when they got the call, they pulled out of there and raced up the escarpment.

It took eight minutes to get there, but there are no hydrants in the area. Tankers from nearby Lincoln and West Lincoln helped by trucking in water.

There have been so many fires in Ontario lately, that the big fire that happened in Welland Saturday night that was not suspicious — the Fire Marshal’s office had no time to get there.