ALDERGROVE GROW-OP GOES UP IN SMOKE

An Aldergrove land owner will be asked to pay for the cost of a police
investigation after a fire revealed a huge pot-growing operation.

Flames provided RCMP with the proof they were looking for that an
Aldergrove property was housing a marijuana grow-op.

Firefighters were called out to the 6200 block of 264th St. around
3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11.

Assistant Chief Len Foss of the Langley Township fire department said
crews from Aldergrove responded, and called for help from Otter.

Fire had started in the rear of a building that had been used as a
meat cutting plant. Crews discovered that the structure was now being
used to grow marijuana. They also found that the electrical
connections had been altered so that the growers could steal
electricity from B.C. Hydro.

"There were two [electrical] feeds coming in," said Foss, making it
extremely dangerous for the firefighters. Crews were unable to go into
the building, he said, and had to wait for Hydro personnel to shut off
the power first.

Unable to go in to put the fire out, firefighters focused on keeping
the flames from spreading.

They also called the Langley RCMP, who discovered 1,000 marijuana
plants that had survived the fire in the outbuilding, and another 600
plants in a home on the property.

No one was around at the time of the fire, but police had already been
aware of the property and its alleged activity.

"We were conducting an ongoing investigation, attempting to get the
information we needed to get a warrant," said Langley RCMP spokesman
Cpl. Dale Carr. "This gave us grounds to get that warrant."

Although officials have not yet determined the official cause of the
blaze, the fire shows that "these grow-ops continue to be a hazard to
the community," said Carr.

And the owners of the property should be expected to pay, he
said.

The owner of the land housing the grow up will be charged for the cost
of the police investigation, under a new Langley Township bylaw. The
law is designed to make land owners responsible for what is happening
on their property.

"It's a case of, if you are going into the business of renting out
property, you can't just buy a house, rent it out, never go there, and
be oblivious to what's going on," said Carr.

"The enforcement of marijuana grow-ops to Township citizens should be
cost-negative. It should cost nothing to the taxpayer," Carr said.
"Why should the community be footing that bill when the people here
are committing these offences?"

No arrests have yet been made in connection with the grow-op, but
police expect to lay charges soon.