Stoneham fire and police crews discovered nearly 500 marijuana plants after responding to a fire on Hersam Street.
Credit: Nicolaus Czarnecki/Metro
Local, state and federal authorities are investigating a likely marijuana grow operation that was discovered after a house fire in Stoneham early Wednesday.
Authorities found about 480 marijuana plants inside the Stoneham home, according to police.
Authorities were called to the building just before 7 a.m. for a fire. It was quickly put out and one firefighters suffered minor injuries.
Soon after, Stoneham fire crews discovered the grow operation and called Stoneham police detectives. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Clandestine Lab Team was called in as part of the investigation.
“This was a potentially dangerous situation, and our detectives will now conduct a thorough investigation,” Stoneham Police Chief James McIntyre said in a statement. “We will not tolerate the proliferation of illegal drugs in our community.”
No one was home at the time of the fire and detectives are investigating.
Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.
