Pot-growing operation similar to typical 'grow house'

Hand-scribbled graffiti urges anyone with information about the case to contact the Fire Marshal's Office. (Harrison Thorp photo)

A Maine DEA agent told The Lebanon Voice today that the Lebanon house gutted last month in an arson fire had at least 20 marijuana plants growing before the blaze and had many similarities with what have come to be known as “grow houses,” homes in York County and other parts of the country used specifically to produce pot.

Sgt. Peter Mador, a supervisor with the York County DEA, said the house had an automatic watering and lighting system with ballasts used to systematically turn on and off special lights designed to optimize yields.

Many “grow houses” use generators to mask the high electricity usage, but he said he wasn’t sure whether this one was used to switch on automatically if power was lost or if it was used exclusively to run the equipment.

He noted if lawmen wanted to review CMP records it would require a search warrant.

Mador said he could confirm no suspects or persons of interest in the case, adding the investigation was still in its early stages. 

He said “grow houses” were not uncommon in York County and across Maine, but added many growers take their plants outside in the summer.

“This is the time when we garden outside, and that’s what they do, too,” he said. 

The fire was intentionally set in the early hours of June 22, Fire investigator Daniel Young of the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office said last week.

The name of the renter is unknown at this time, but the owner of the property is listed at Lebanon Town Hall as Kalani McDaniel of Massachusetts.

Town officials have said they have been unsuccessful in contacting McDaniel, but have been told that a Fire Marshal’s Office investigator did make contact.

It is expected the building will be razed at some point in the near future, but town officials are now waiting for authorities to finish their investigations before they move forward with demolition plans.