Large marijuana seizure in Oakland prompts fire concerns

Posted: 07/30/2009 03:22:25 PM PDT


OAKLAND — At least 50 pounds of harvested marijuana was seized at a Maxwell Park house where the growing operation had electrical overloads that could have ignited a devastating fire capable of consuming other homes, authorities said Thursday.
One man was arrested during the Wednesday afternoon raid at the house in the 4700 block of Meldon Avenue, and another person who was not present also could face charges, police said.
Arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale was Matthew Quirk, 42. He had a marijuana patient card, but police said the amount seized, which had a street value of at least $150,000, was far more than allowed under city ordinances.
Quirk refused to talk to police and was being held Thursday on $20,000 bail.
Officer Jim Beere, of the vice/child exploitation unit, said that what concerned police and firefighters at the scene was the overloaded electrical circuits at the house and the use of a high-power industrial heater in extremely dry areas of the home.
Firefighters have seen an increase in the number of illegal marijuana grow-related structure blazes, and Beere said they told him that if the house had caught fire, "it could have put the whole neighborhood at risk."
Beere said police recovered a price list from the vehicle Quirk had been driving. Beere said the list stated that an ounce of the marijuana cost between $275 and $300 and that seven grams could
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be bought between $80 and $100.
Beere said the marijuana was being grown inside and outside the house. He said police were tipped off more than a week ago by area residents who said there was a strong odor coming from the house and that there were constant visitors there.
Police put the house under surveillance before getting the search warrant.
Beere said all of the marijuana found was either already packaged for sale or was hanging from hooks where it was being dried by an industrial-type heater. He said the house contained lights, fans, generators, heaters, plant nutrients and other items needed to harvest the marijuana.
Beere said it appeared the house was in the process of being abandoned. Besides the marijuana ready to be transported, police also found packed suitcases inside the house, he said.