Firefighters rushed to the scene of a house fire in Kelowna’s Mission neighbourhood only to be pulled out moments later.
Just before 12 p.m., a fire was reported at a two-story house on Old Meadows Road in the Lower Mission.
But as crews made their way into the house to douse the fire, a marijuana grow-op was found inside and firefighters were pulled out.
“Not only for electrical hazards but sometimes there are booby traps inside these places,” said Platoon Captain Tim Light.
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Because of the danger inside, fire crews were forced to attack the fire from the outside.
The blaze started in the downstairs unit in the area of the grow-op. While the exact cause is still unknown, the fire department believes it is linked to the illegal operation.
The downstairs renter was nowhere in sight but the upstairs tenant showed up shortly after the fire erupted. He told RCMP and the Kelowna Fire Department that he did not know anything about the grow-op.
One neighbour says he suspected something all along.
Fire crews discovered an electrical bypass that was used to power the grow-op. Fortis shut the power off to the residence.
RCMP are investigating the blaze and have already taken one man into custody.
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