Overloaded electrical wiring sparked a fire in an underground utility box near a house-turned-marijuana farm in Eastvale, sheriffs officials say.
Deputies made the discovery after serving a search warrant at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, along the 12600 block of Amberhill Avenue.
The raid netted 1,290 pot plants, 4-1/2 pounds of processed marijuana, packaging material and digital scales, Sgt. Justin Rowan said in a written statement. Deputies also found that the electrical meter was being bypassed, resulting in about $5,800 worth of stolen electricity each month.
While officers were processing the (house), the underground utility box
for several residences on the street caught fire, causing a power outage, according to the statement. Southern California Edison crews quickly restored power and determined the fire was caused by overloaded electrical lines as a result of the electrical bypass.
