BURNING POT CAUSES RESTAURANT BLAZE

A fire in a Port Credit restaurant Monday night that sent three people to
hospital started when marijuana ignited while it was being chemically
treated, police say.

Peel Regional Police and Mississauga fire crews arrived at Benack's
Restaurant at 229 Lakeshore Rd. E. just before 7 p.m. to find the kitchen
area engulfed in flames.

The restaurant was in the midst of being renovated and was to re-open as
the Bite-Me Deli in the summer by new owner Nelson Medeiros of Northmount Ave.

Once the fire, which caused $75,000 damage, was extinguished by half a
dozen firefighters, Peel police seized nearly $450,000 of marijuana, more
than half of which was being burned to produce weed oil.

"There are portions of the marijuana plant that are not harvested, so you
cook it up, treat it and produce an oil which you can put onto cigarette
paper and smoke," said acting Superintendent John Nielsen of Peel Regional
Police Operations Support Services, who normally heads the drug squad.

One man was taken to Trillium Health Centre for second-degree burns, while
the other fled on foot before being arrested a short time later, police said.

A man and a woman who live above the establishment were treated for smoke
inhalation.

Inspector John Sutherland of Peel's 12 Division said this was a very
dangerous situation.

"People that weren't even involved in this operation were injured," said
Sutherland. "The (culprits) were using alcohol to treat the marijuana, and
alcohol is very flammable."

Despite reports of the men being trapped inside, Sutherland said that
wasn't the case.

"The guys came running out when the marijuana burst into flames and one of
them caught fire," he said.

While the city is becoming notorious for home-grown marijuana labs,
Sutherland added an incident like this -- where a fire breaks out -- is
definitely a rare occurrence.

"Something good came out of it because it brought our attention to the
criminal activity," he said. "But the message should be that this kind of
thing is unsafe and illegal."

Charles Gagne, 29, of Havenwood Dr. along with Derek Staples, also 29, of
Pickering, face a number of marijuana charges.

When Medeiros, 26, arrived at his eatery after police contacted him,
further investigation led to him being charged as well.

He is charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
and conspiracy to commit a criminal offence.