A fire Saturday at a Van Nuys home led to the discovery of a marijuana growing operation and police issued a misdemeanor citation to the owner, authorities said.
The fire was reported about 11:40 a.m. in the 6300 block of North Langdon Avenue and was out 15 minutes after firefighters arrived, according to Amy Bastman of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
No injuries were reported.
The fire apparently started in a carport that was attached to a subdivided garage in which firefighters found a suspected marijuana grow, Bastman said.
“They felt the cause of the fire was extensive energy draw overloading the circuits,” said Sgt. Michael Goldberg of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys Station.
Narcotics officers responded and seized some 48 marijuana plants, which exceeded the limit of six now allowed by law, Goldberg said.
The owner was cited with a misdemeanor for growing in excess of six plants in a residential area, he said.
“The law has changed dramatically within the last six months,” Goldberg noted. The owner could have faced felony charges before voters legalized marijuana use in November.
— City News Service