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Fire crews discover at least 100 pot plants at Des Moines home

DES MOINES, Wash. — Police in Des Moines say firefighters responded to reports of a house fire Wednesday morning but found a marijuana grow operation instead.

The home on South 200th Street in Des Moines was filled with smoke when firefighters made the discovery.

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Four people were inside the home when the fire broke out, and by the time fire crews arrived, there was a lot of smoke inside the home that had to be cleared out.

“The extent of the damage you can see from the from the exterior is not that significant, but there is significant fire damage on the inside.  But when the fire department went inside, they noticed a large marijuana grow operation in the basement of the residence,” said Commander Doug Jenkins with Des Moines police.

With a garage door open, materials used to grow plants could be seen inside and the smell of marijuana was apparent.

Officers told KIRO 7 they initially found well over 100 of plants in what they are calling an illegal grow operation.

“It's a felony to have an illegal marijuana grow operation. So, we're also working with the King County Prosecutor's Office and we'll refer any potential charges to them,” said Jenkins.

Neighbors wouldn't talk on camera, but told KIRO 7 the family moved into the home about a year ago. One couple said when they went to introduce themselves, they were quickly waved away by their new neighbors.

Firefighters are waiting on a search warrant to go inside the home to finish an investigation.

There are two investigations happening at the home. One will determine how the fire started and if it was related to the grow operation.  The other investigation is a criminal one.