Eclipse Watchers’ Grow House Burns: Deputies

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — A Monday fire in Wesley Chapel’s Lexington Oaks subdivision sparked an investigation after “felony amounts of marijuana” were discovered by firefighters and deputies. The alleged owners of the illegal substance were reportedly out of town to watch the eclipse when the grow house went up in smoke, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday.

According to the sheriff’s office, the blaze broke out in the 26000 block of Whirlaway Terrace on Aug. 21. The homeowner was able to escape safely, the agency noted, and no one else was inside the structure at the time.

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Once the blaze was brought under control, fire rescue “discovered the room in the home that the fire started in was being used to grow marijuana,” an email from the sheriff’s office said.

The home’s owner subsequently told deputies she lives with her grandson and his girlfriend. The two were in Georgia to watch the solar eclipse when the blaze started, the sheriff’s office noted.

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Deputies say they were able to spot illegal items clearly through a broken window outside the home.

“Partial plants of marijuana could be seen along with items that are commonly used in grow houses,” the email said. “In other parts of the home, many paraphernalia items were seen along with two medium-sized jars in plain view containing felony amounts of marijuana.”

The cause of the fire and the discovery of marijuana both remain under investigation. Patch is not releasing the names of those involved at this time because no formal charges have been filed as of yet.

No further information is available at this time.

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