New Bedford fire sparked by illicit recreational Marijuana grow operation
Eight adults and one child were forced from their home Thursday after a fire broke out in New Bedford.
Crews responded to Welcome Street around 4 p.m. and found heavy flames and smoke coming from the third floor of the home.
The roof and front porches collapsed, but fortunately, no firefighters were hurt.
Two residents were taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. No word on their conditions as of Friday morning.
Investigators determined the fire was accidental in nature, caused by an illicit recreational marijuana grow operation.
“These residential grow operations cause frequent fires due to numerous sources of heat, overloaded electrical devices and wiring, and nearby combustibles and chemicals,” the fire department wrote on Facebook.
The tenant was asleep at the time and was awoken by his dog, Major. Crews say Major, along with eight other pets, were able to escape, but three cats died.
New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said the home had working smoke alarms, stressing the importance of changing out the batteries every six months and making sure they’re working properly.
The American Red Cross is now helping the nine residents.
