GoldChico
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One of the largest marijuana growing operations ever seen in Richmond went up in smoke Sunday morning during a blaze that nearly leveled a warehouse north of Bridgeport Road, east of Shell.
Despite witness reports that someone was seen inside the building shortly before the fire broke out at around 8:30 a.m. at 11091 Bridgeport Rd., no evidence of human remains was found, Richmond RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen said Tuesday.
Police believe that if someone had been inside the building, they managed to get out.
What police investigators did find inside was in the neighbourhood of 3,000 plant pots, he said.
Nearly the entire eastern half of the building was used to grow the marijuana, but how long the operation had been there wasn't known.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and it is unclear whether the grow-op was a contributing factor, Thiessen said.
According to Richmond Fire-Rescue's Doug Ross, because the fire was so destructive and burned so hot, the cause of the fire and where it originated may never be determined.
But the fire is being treated as suspicious.
Ross estimates the replacement value of the building at about $1.4 million, and that doesn't include the contents.
Asked what fueled the fire, Ross noted that a motorhome was parked inside the building, as well as a Jeep, some forklifts and refrigerators.
The natural gas line to the building had been turned off, he noted.
Some propane tanks in the building exploded during the fire.
One firefighter, who had been inside the burning structure several times, exhibited signs of exhaustion and heat stress.
He was monitored by paramedics-under a relatively new B.C. Ambulance Service and Richmond Fire-Rescue program aimed at preventing firefighting-related exhaustion and injuries-at the scene and was fine.
The building and land is owned by Broadway Properties Ltd. The property management company is Gateway Property Management in Delta.
Les Greig, of Broadway Properties, said the building was used for storage and was leased out about three or four years ago.
I was in that building a year and a half ago," Greig said. The two level structure showed no signs of a marijuana grow-op at that time, he said.
The building was being leased to SuperDave Enterprises, located at 110-12111 Bridgeport Rd.
When contacted by telephone, a man who identified himself as Dave answered but then promptly hung up.
A call to SuperDave's office indicated that he was out of town in the Philippines and was due back at the end of the week.
According to Greig, SuperDave purchases equipment from restaurants that have closed down and resells them.
This isn't the first time police have been to this warehouse complex, at 11091 Bridgeport Rd.
In November of 2003, dozens of RCMP officers were involved in an investigation after traces of human blood were found inside one of the units.
There were allegations that a crime had taken place inside the building but after several days of careful examination, police concluded that nothing criminal had taken place.
Police never indicated what the allegations were or who made them.
Source: Richmond Review, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Richmond Public Library
Contact: news@richmondreview.com
Website: https://www.richmondreview.com/
Despite witness reports that someone was seen inside the building shortly before the fire broke out at around 8:30 a.m. at 11091 Bridgeport Rd., no evidence of human remains was found, Richmond RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen said Tuesday.
Police believe that if someone had been inside the building, they managed to get out.
What police investigators did find inside was in the neighbourhood of 3,000 plant pots, he said.
Nearly the entire eastern half of the building was used to grow the marijuana, but how long the operation had been there wasn't known.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and it is unclear whether the grow-op was a contributing factor, Thiessen said.
According to Richmond Fire-Rescue's Doug Ross, because the fire was so destructive and burned so hot, the cause of the fire and where it originated may never be determined.
But the fire is being treated as suspicious.
Ross estimates the replacement value of the building at about $1.4 million, and that doesn't include the contents.
Asked what fueled the fire, Ross noted that a motorhome was parked inside the building, as well as a Jeep, some forklifts and refrigerators.
The natural gas line to the building had been turned off, he noted.
Some propane tanks in the building exploded during the fire.
One firefighter, who had been inside the burning structure several times, exhibited signs of exhaustion and heat stress.
He was monitored by paramedics-under a relatively new B.C. Ambulance Service and Richmond Fire-Rescue program aimed at preventing firefighting-related exhaustion and injuries-at the scene and was fine.
The building and land is owned by Broadway Properties Ltd. The property management company is Gateway Property Management in Delta.
Les Greig, of Broadway Properties, said the building was used for storage and was leased out about three or four years ago.
I was in that building a year and a half ago," Greig said. The two level structure showed no signs of a marijuana grow-op at that time, he said.
The building was being leased to SuperDave Enterprises, located at 110-12111 Bridgeport Rd.
When contacted by telephone, a man who identified himself as Dave answered but then promptly hung up.
A call to SuperDave's office indicated that he was out of town in the Philippines and was due back at the end of the week.
According to Greig, SuperDave purchases equipment from restaurants that have closed down and resells them.
This isn't the first time police have been to this warehouse complex, at 11091 Bridgeport Rd.
In November of 2003, dozens of RCMP officers were involved in an investigation after traces of human blood were found inside one of the units.
There were allegations that a crime had taken place inside the building but after several days of careful examination, police concluded that nothing criminal had taken place.
Police never indicated what the allegations were or who made them.
Source: Richmond Review, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Richmond Public Library
Contact: news@richmondreview.com
Website: https://www.richmondreview.com/
