I know we find some weird things in our job, but this takes the cake.

[chopper12]

Firefighters Find Secret Stash in Basement
By Associated Press

4 hours ago

WADSWORTH, Ohio - Firefighters dousing a fire in a new home were confused when the man they thought was the owner suddenly left _ until they found $700,000 worth of marijuana plants in the basement, officials said.

"It seemed so strange to me" that the man left, said Wadsworth Fire Chief Ralph Copley. "If it were my home burning, I'd want to be there."

After firefighters extinguished the fire, which started in the attic early Friday morning, they found 239 marijuana plants filling one-fourth of the basement, which was wired throughout for indoor plant growing, authorities said.

"It was unreal," Copley said. "In 24 years, I've never seen a fire quite like that."

The Medina County Drug Task Force and firefighters on Friday confiscated items from the home, including peat moss, 1,000-watt bulbs and large reflecting discs. The basement had no fire damage.

The marijuana-cultivating system was wired to the home's electrical system in a way that bypassed the meter, said Michael Barnhardt, acting director of the task force. Such wiring would help a grower avoid the large electric bills that clue in investigators, he said.

Copley said the cause of the fire was unknown, but it did not appear to be related to the marijuana operation or electrical wiring. It caused about $150,000 in damage.

The home, bought for $229,000 less than one month ago, is owned by a Lan Le. There is no telephone listing under that name in the northeast Ohio city 30 miles south of Cleveland.

http://www.comcast.net/news/strange/...16/368835.html

[nmfire]

I can just see a whole crew of stoned firefighters spraying eachother with water instead of the fire.

[BirkenVogt]

Been there, done that! When the BC showed up with some pepperoni pizzas they disappeared instantly

Birken

[KCFireguy]

Been there, done that! When the BC showed up with some pepperoni pizzas they disappeared instantly

Birken

I sure hope no one got hit with a random the next shift!

[TruckSkipper]

Check this out.

Murder Charges in Blaze that Killed Two Philadelphia Firefighters

Investigators Say Marijuana Growing in House Ignited Tragic Blaze as Comrades Remember Fallen

[Shoreman22]

Dave's not here, man...

[MalahatTwo7]

My first (and only so far) structure fire was under similar circumstances. As the guys were doing their mop-up, they found a closed room, and lo and behold, but what should they find? Yep, sho'r nuff did. Good thing they were smoked up.

[fftrainer]

Does this support or undermine the wear your scba during overhaul movement?!?

[backsteprescue123]

Does this support or undermine the wear your scba during overhaul movement?!?

I'd be wearing mine!

[Dickey]

Up In Smoke

No man.......it's me DAVE!!!! Let me in, man!!!!

[mymedic26]

Those home owners are still at large also. We were mutual aided to this scene. The people were told by the police to go stand by the stop sign and they got in their car and left never to be seen again. Hmmmm... DUH!!!! Did ya think they were gonna stick around? However, it was kinda comical that they kept trying to get back into the house to get their stuff, like a laptop before we even knew the marijuana was in the basement.

[tanker5117]

No man.......it's me DAVE!!!! Let me in, man!!!!

Dave's not here, man...

[Paul343]

They had this story on the Bob and Tom show the other morning they added and I quote

"some firefighters suffered smoke inhalation but were later treated with cheetos and ding-dongs."

LOL!