Blaze leads to hundreds of marijuana plants uncovered in Dollard home

Montreal police will seek a warrant to seize 500 to 600 marijuana plants and growth equipment discovered in a Dollard des Ormeaux residence this morning after firefighters stumbled upon them whilst putting out a blaze.

"There will be an investigation," said Montreal police media relations officer Oliver Lapointe.

According to Lapointe, a fire started off at about 7:30 a.m. at the house on Jourdain Street in question.

Firefighters intervened, discovered nobody at home and put out the fire rather quickly.

It was during that process they discovered the marijuana plants and equipment.

Lapointe said nobody lives at the home in question, and, though there will be an investigation, it is too early to seek out an arrest warrant immediately. The Dollard home is unlisted in the phone book.

One to three police cars could be seen intermittently this morning on the scene after the fire.

A Hydro-Quebec truck was also there. "They had to turn the power off," Lapointe said, since the growth equipment is tied to electric outlets.

The home's garage seemed to have suffered the most damages in the fire, as its insides were covered in soot.

A nearby resident on Jourdain spoke to The Chronicle on condition of anonymity. "I smelled some stuff at about 8 a.m.," he said on his front porch, "I barely even saw any smoke," he said, adding that what he smelled was not smoke.

Another grow-op was busted on Beaurepaire Drive in Beaconsfield last Friday, according to constable J.P. Lévy of police station 1. About 200 marijuana plants were seized from the home, and two people, a man and a woman, were arrested. Lévy said police were tipped off by citizens.

Chronicle, Raffy Boudjikanian