Marijuana Farm Growing Behind Barclays Center Sets Ablaze


The location of the fire, via Google Maps.

Title just about says it all. From DNAinfo:

A 45-year-old man was arrested Sunday after an extension cord he used to power a set of plant-growing lights over his 40 marijuana bushes sparked a fire, drawing a team of firefighters who noticed the illegal pot farm, police said.

Antonio Dow, 45, was busted on charges of criminal drug possession and intent to sell after firefighters found the plants in his apartment behind Barclays Center as well as in his backyard, police said.

“He was growing substantial plants and his electrical wiring short-circuited, and that’s what caused a very smoky fire,” Capt. Peter Rose of the 77th Precinct said Monday night. “They found these plants that were the size of small shrubs.”

The fire department responded to 577 Vanderbilt Ave. between Pacific and Dean streets about 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the FDNY. It was extinguished about 20 minutes later. The building was not damaged in the fire and no one was hurt, Rose said.

There were no events at Barclays Center Sunday, meaning that no concert-goers caught wafts of smoke leaving the arena from the fire. Vanderbilt is a couple of blocks behind the arena, as the map shows above; Vanderbilt is closer to the rail yards that sit behind Barclays.

DNAinfo — Marijuana Farm Behind Barclays Center Goes Up in Smoke, Police Say