Wimbledon: Firefighters find suspected cannabis factory after fire tears through house
A fire has torn through a house in Wimbledon that drug growers are thought to have been using as a cannabis factory.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to the blaze at a two-storey home in residential road Bakers End around 5.30pm on Monday.
Approximately 25 firefighters spent an hour-and-a-half tackling the fire, which was brought under control by around 7pm.
The blaze is believed to have been caused by “unsafe electrical installation in a cannabis factory”, said LFB on Tuesday.
The roof of the house was destroyed by fire. LFB said there were no reports of any injuries.
“Cannabis factory fires can be particularly dangerous because of the way criminals use unsafe wiring to illegally obtain electricity in order to grow the plants,” said an LFB spokesperson.
"They're often in top floors or lofts which means when a fire takes hold it spreads, destroying roofs and damaging neighbouring buildings.
"Firefighters can also be exposed to risks when dealing with the fires because of bad wiring and traps at some of the properties.
"It's important that people know the key signs and inform the police so that they can act swiftly to prevent these dangerous fires from happening."
The Met police has been approached by the Standard.
