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Fire Brigade urges people to report suspected cannabis factory's following rise in fires

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Soft Secrets
14 Nov 2014

Hazardous: firefighters say cannabis factory fires are on the rise

Hazardous: firefighters say cannabis factory fires are on the rise

The London Fire Brigade are urging people to come forward if they suspect a cannabis factory is operating in their area following a rise in fires.

 

Last year there were 25 cannabis factory fires, equating to around one every fortnight, with Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich and Newham being the worst hit boroughs.

The LFB says cannabis factory fires are hazardous for firefighters to tackle because they involve a tangle of lamps and heaters powered from illegally sourced electricity.

Cultivators also kit out properties with false doors, barbed wire and electric doors handles to injure people who discover the drugs.

A firefighter tackling a blaze in Rothbury Walk, Tottenham, on October 14 suffered an injured neck after becoming trapped in cabling at a fire in a factory started in potted compost.

People are being told to inform police if they spot warning signs, such as a strong smell, large amounts of growing equipment, covered windows and lots of cables coming from a property.

London Fire Brigade Third Officer Dave Brown said: "Cannabis factory fires can be very severe because of the way criminals use unsafe wiring to illegally obtain electricity in order to grow the plants. They're often in top floors or lofts which means when a fire takes hold it spreads, destroying roofs and damaging neighbouring buildings.

 

"Firefighters can also be exposed to risks when dealing with the fires because of bad wiring and booby traps at some of the properties.”

 

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/fire-brigade-urges-people-to-report-suspected-cannabis-factorys-following-rise-in-fires-9861575.html 14/11/2014

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Soft Secrets

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