San Jose firefighters stumbled upon a marijuana grow during a one-alarm fire Sunday night in a two-story house near a home daycare center.
When pressed for more information on what happened at 536 Scottsville Court, the fire department referred NBC Bay Area to police, saying this was now a matter for them.
San Jose police officer Albert Morales called the grow an illegal one, and was set up elaborately inside a garage. Faulty wiring inside led to the fire, he said, and up to 400 plants were confiscated. He valued the seizure at about $500,000.
No one was home on Monday when NBC Bay Area knocked on the door, and police have not yet found the people living there.
A neighbor said he was surprised to hear that someone had been growing pot in his neighborhood, especially considering that home is next door to an in home daycare center.
"This is a real stable neighborhood," Doug Crask said, adding that he knew nothing about his neighbors.
The fire started around 11:45 p.m. There's no sign of smoke or fire damage from the outside. But both the front and garage doors of the house are boarded up after it appears firefighters made forced entries.
