UPSHUR COUNTY, Texas — The Upshur County Sheriff's Office says an explosion led to the discovery of an indoor marijuana grow operation.
THE UCSO says dispatchers received a call around 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27, regarding an explosion and a vehicle speeding away from the scene. Firefighters from the West Mountain Volunteer Fire Department and the Gilmer Fire Department responded to the scene.
"As firefighters and responding officers searched the location for injured or trapped persons, they discovered that the home, along with a detached building on the property, were being used to grow marijuana plants," the UCSO said. "When the fire was extinguished, District Attorney Billy Byrd assisted Investigators in seeking and receiving a search warrant to begin a criminal investigation into the location."
The UCSO says inside the home and the detached building more than 70 suspected marijuana plants, ranging from recently harvested remnants to some more than 6' tall, were found.
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"Thousands of dollars worth of equipment and electronics powered the location and provided artificial sunlight for the plants," the UCSO said. "The plants were being grown in large pots containing soil that appeared to be well fertilized and nourished."
Nobody was at the property when the fire occurred. The cause is still under investigation.
"Propane canisters were inside the structures and it is possible that a leaking canister may have contributed to the blaze, but that is not a conclusive determination at this time," the UCSO said. "There was evidence of a sudden ignition, thus the sound of an explosion reported by witnesses."
The investigation is ongoing.