A marijuana grow operation caused a fire that damaged two homes in east Maple Ridge on Tuesday.
Called in by neighbours around 3:50 p.m., the house on 101A Avenue in Albion was badly damaged by the fire.
Fire trucks from two halls were called to battle the blaze.
Maple Ridge fire chief Dane Spence said the fire was caused by an electrical bypass.
The flames raced up the wall into the attic and firefighters had to break through a door to rescue a dog trapped inside.
The fire also damaged siding of an adjacent house.
“It is a hazard to have one of these beside you,” Spence said of the growop.
A woman who lives nearby said it wasn’t easy for firefighters to get into the home.
“They smashed the door and couldn’t get in. They smashed the window and there was plywood [behind the blinds]. Scary.”
Ridge Meadows RCMP have now taken control of the property and continue to investigate the fire.
The dog has been taken to the SPCA.
