Firefighters Battling North Hollywood Blaze Find Marijuana Plants

Police were brought in when several marijuana plants were discovered by firefighters battling a large a commercial structure fire in North Hollywood today.

The plants were found inside a building adjacent to the actual fire, at 6444 N. Lankershim Blvd., said Katherine Main of the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

It was not immediately known what led to the discovery of the “multiple marijuana plants,” said Los Angeles police officer Sara Faden of the Media Relations Section, adding that narcotics detectives were now at the scene conducting an investigation.

“It’s still kind of unfolding for us now,” Faden said.

Police were originally dispatched to the scene about 2 a.m., she said, to assist with traffic control.

An electrical short possibly ignited the fire and caused $100,000 worth of damage to the building and another $80,000 in damage to its contents, Main said.

Firefighters were dispatched at 12:56 a.m. and had the fire out within 35 minutes of their arrival, she said. The two-story structure housed a banquet hall on the second floor and a storage space for antiques one the first floor.

• City News Service