BLAZE EXPOSES $15M GROW-OP

Many Fires Set In Jamestown Warehouse: Officials

A huge marijuana grow operation street value of $15 million was
discovered last Friday morning as firefighters battled what is
believed to be a deliberately set blaze inside a Jamestown warehouse.

The 15,000 or so plants were discovered as firefighters were checking
the building for hot spots after extinguishing the 5:50 a.m. blaze.

"There were all these plants there, as well as a quantity of prepared
stuff ready to go that would be the potential target of thieves,"
Toronto police 23 Division Det.-Sgt. Les Stasiak said yesterday.

Police executed search warrants for both the drugs and paraphernalia
and to enter the fire scene, Stasiak said.

The owner of the industrial complex of units has been interviewed,
Stasiak said.

Police are working to determine who leases the two units where the
fires occurred, he said, adding the fire began in one unit and spread
to an adjacent unit.

No one has been charged in the matter.

Police said there are signs of forceable entry.

Firefighters battled many fires inside the warehouse, said a fire
official.

"The sprinkler system helped put out the fires," Toronto fire
information officer Don Marsden said. "The main body of the fire was
in a trailer parked inside the building. And there were several other
spot fires found throughout the building."

The Ontario Fire Marshal arrived on-scene to investigate the cause of
the fires.

The comments of the OFM lead investigator on the case were not
available prior to Guardian deadline.

But Stasiak said evidence at the fire has been sent to the Centre of
Forensic Sciences' central laboratory in downtown Toronto to test for
the use of accelerants.