May 13, 2008 12:01 pm US/Pacific
Pot-Growing Operation Found At Oakland Apt. Fire
OAKLAND (BCN) ―
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Firefighters at the scene of an apartment building fire at 1918 Lakeshore Ave. Tuesday morning.
CBS
Oakland police seized about 150 marijuana plants Tuesday morning after a two-alarm fire broke out in a seven-story apartment complex near Lake Merritt, officials said.
The fire, which was reported at about 12:40 a.m. at 1918 Lakeshore Ave., displaced 10 adults and caused an estimated total of $350,000, according to Oakland fire Lt. David Brue.
He said the blaze inflicted about $250,000 of property damage and $100,000 of damage to contents. The sixth and seventh floors of the building were impacted by fire and there was water damage throughout the structure.
Brue said it appears as though the fire ignited on the sixth floor of the building, however the cause of the blaze has not been determined.
According to Brue, Oakland police responded to the complex to investigate the contents of one of the units.
An Oakland police officer said that a marijuana growing operation was found at the building and police obtained a warrant. About 150 marijuana plants were seized, the officer said.
The fire was contained on the sixth floor at 12:53 a.m. and on the seventh floor at 1:28 a.m. before being declared under control at 2:06 a.m.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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