There is now a fire in a cannabis factory every two weeks in the UK, often causing extensive damage to the flats and houses where the factories are usually found, as well as potential harm to firefighters and risk to neighbouring residential properties.
The number of these fires has more than doubled in the last two years, says the London Fire Brigade (LFB). The fires usually occur when heat, often illegally obtained by tapping into mains electricity, bypassing the meter, causes the buildings where the cannabis plants are being grown, often hidden in lofts, to overheat.
The potential for disastrous fires caused by cannabis factories results from the huge amount of heating and lighting equipment, usually dangerously wired, that these plants require for their successful cultivation and explains why, on average, four fire engines and over 20 firefighters are needed to attend each one of the resulting extremely intense fires.
In addition to the high risk to firefighters from intense heat, cannabis fires can be more hazardous than fires that do not involve drugs, as unscrupulous growers often set booby traps for police and firefighters using false floors, barbed wire, sharp objects, and electrified door handles and windows that give serious electric shocks to the emergency services.
The signs of potential cannabis farming are:
Dave Brown, an LFB third officer, said:
Cannabis factory fires can be severe, due the way criminals use unsafe wiring to obtain electricity illegally in order to grow the plants. They are 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, due to dodgy wiring and booby traps at some of the properties.
It’s important that people know the key signs and inform the police, so that they can act swiftly to prevent these dangerous fires.
A firefighter was treated for burns after a cannabis fire on the upper floor of a house in Cardiff in April this year that necessitated 42 firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
In Bromley, South London, a cafe and the flat above it were extensively damaged by a cannabis fire in September. Police officers discovered more than 225 cannabis plants scattered throughout the bathroom, living room, and kitchen of the flat, as well as tents and hydroponic growing equipment. The blaze started after heat from the equipment being used to grow the cannabis caused a light to melt, setting fire to the flat.
This month, an Indian restaurant in Dudley, West Midlands, was completely destroyed by a fire in a loft containing a tent over several cannabis plants.
Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.
Empty bags of Wotsits outside the front door
10. Overwhelming sense of apathy and distnict signs of paranoia among residents.
11.
Errr… what was the question? Because I had something funny to say here… give me a minute
12. The walls are moving.
13. Noise pollution: Re-runs of Frazier and Pink Floyd being played at high volume
….you hear Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wizard Of Oz playing simultaneously….(try it)
@ Luke
HA! Wotsits and tweenkie wrappers.
@gerry_dunphy
I think if they are listening to Dark Side of the Moon and watching Wizard of Oz simulataneously there is something a little more psychedelic going on there than a cannibas factory…LOL…;)
Shell suits!!!
it sad and scarry… in my books – say No to any drugs as for human brain to operate properly… we are – what we put in our body… healthy body = healthy mind… simple… drugs growups always create hazard and fire safety violations…
It is appalling to see how these illegal growers put their own lives and the lives of their neighbors at risk. It quite obvious they don’t have any regard for the lives of their neighbors for whom they are hazardous anyway by producing cannabis. What is more alarming is that they seem to have no care for their own lives as well. Is it that they are not aware of the potential risks? I don’t think so.
@ Luke Bilton, you seem to be very familiar of these gloomy flats because of the confidence with which you are adding to the signs of such places On the serious note though, if such places are so noticeable with such clear signs that can be detected very easily, why are they escaping the eye of the concerned law enforcement agencies in the first place?
Iv been reporting for well over a year constant daily hum and drone with suspicious goings on next door also the impact on my wellbeing from the noise pollution. .health and safety always come to mind also ..so I’m left wondering why hasn’t the police the council and the environment agency acted upon this its unbelievable
3 years iv been living next door to the drone and buzz of a suspected canabis farm my life has been a nightmare due to the inconsiderate selfish disfunctional nieghbours from hell and the authorities don’t want to know or seem not to iv lost my good health and my job I enjoy doing is suffering due to the fact iv had to turn down alot as I’m stressed and sleep deprived