FIRE PROVES THAT DRUGS ARE DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE

The Editor,

Re: "Families flee fire with their lives," the Now, April 24.

On April 22 at 4 a.m. our home in the Green Timbers-Bear Creek Park area was
destroyed by a fire that originated in a marijuana grow-up in the house next
door. It was a horrifying ordeal and if not for the watchful eye and quick
thinking of a neighbour there may have been a tragic loss of lives as well.

Up until now I have viewed the marijuana grow industry in the Lower Mainland
as a benign presence. In fact I've taken a "soft" approach to the issue
probably because I, too, enjoy a taste of the bud now and then. We had no
idea the house next to us was a grow-op, but if I had known I'd probably
have turned a blind eye not realizing it posed a danger to myself and my
family.

Needless to say my attitude has changed considerably. Not only did we lose
our home to the bud industry, we were forced to relocate outside our
neighbourhood because the availability of homes on the rental market has all
but dried up. Rents are artificially high as a result too, compounding our
dilemma.

Law enforcement officials say the situation is "epidemic" estimating 4,500
homes housing grow-ops in Surrey alone. They also say they are powerless to
make a difference citing a lack of resources and manpower to fight the
growing problem.

I believe the provincial government must take immediate action. Legislation
is required to put the onus of responsibility on the owners of these rental
properties. No longer is the argument that "I didn't know" excusable when it
comes to these "growing factories." If a homeowner is allowed to profit from
these operations, he or she should also be held accountable for their
existence and be prepared to pay a heavy price when they're discovered. I
suspect the "I didn't know" argument would all but disappear if homeowners
knew they faced an enormous fine or the loss of their property due to the
discovery of a marijuana factory.

On a more positive note, I'd like to acknowledge and thank our neighbours,
friends, co-workers and all the emergency service workers whose support and
caring was incredible in the aftermath of our ordeal.

On behalf of my family, I especially want to thank the Surrey firefighters
whose bravery, compassion, caring and generosity will never be forgotten.

H. Buster Burwash

Surrey