CHEESE FACTORY FIRE PROBABLY STARTED IN GROW OP

Traffic on Hastings Street was snarled for nearly four hours on Tuesday as
seven fire trucks were called to extinguish a roaring fire above the Puglia
cheese factory.

According to firefighters at the scene, it appears that the blaze started
in one of several apartment suites located on the second floor of the
two-storey building, which is located at the corner of Hastings and Stratford.

Burnaby fire department Capt. John McQuade told the media that fire crews
discovered a marijuana grow operation on the second floor and suggested
that the growing equipment may have started the fire.

McQuade ran out of oxygen while inside the burning building, and his fellow
firefighters had to provide him with assistance to safely exit the building.

The scenario did not sit well with McQuade, who called for harsh penalties
against those who jeopardize the lives of firefighters through illegal
activities.

"It was pretty scary to see something like this happen," said Burnaby
resident Michael Lo, who watched with about 50 other people as fire crews
smashed out a second-floor window to allow McQuade to breathe in some fresh
air.

"All of a sudden there was a crash and these two people popped out of the
window. I didn't know if someone was hurt or if they were calling for help,
but you never want to see your firefighters in trouble - they're our heroes."

Two other people reportedly escaped from the building shortly after the 3
p.m. blaze was reported by a passerby who spotted smoke and flames pouring
out of the building and checked for signs of people in need of help, Lo said.

"It looked like they're going to be all right," Lo said. "The ambulance
guys checked them over, but it looked not too bad. It's just a shame that
they've probably lost everything they owned."

Burnaby resident Carla Rivers also watched fire crews battle the blaze and
said that grow op fires are "a menace to our neighbourhoods, even in our homes.

"The people who build these things just to make money are truly heartless
and stupid," Rivers said. "These things could be right next door and you'd
never know. Someday, someone is going to die because of their greed and,
until they've hurt someone they care about, they'll probably never learn
their lesson."