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Fire Burns Santa Rosa Apartment Housing Marijuana Grow

SANTA ROSA (BCN) - A fire destroyed an apartment containing a small medical marijuana grow and damaged three adjacent units Monday morning, Santa Rosa Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

The fire was reported at a four-unit building at 241 Farmers Lane around 7 a.m., Basque said.

Firefighters arrived in five minutes and found thick smoke coming from the structure's attic and roof and fire burning in an apartment in the middle of the building, Basque said.

The fire was controlled within 20 minutes but destroyed the apartment where it started. The three adjacent apartments sustained moderate smoke and water damage, Basque said.

Six residents were displaced, and damage to the building and contents is estimated at $70,000, Basque said.

The marijuana grow inside the apartment included lights and ventilation, and electrical overloading appears to have caused the fire, Basque said.

The fire closed Farmers Lane between Fourth Street and Montgomery Drive for about 90 minutes during the morning commute, Basque said.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)

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