Two men were arrested Monday after firefighters found a small marijuana-growing operation inside a burning garage in the Clairemont area, officials said.
The blaze was reported at about 9:50 a.m. in the 3500 block of Mount Burnham Court, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque.
The flames began in the house's garage and spread to the attic and parts of the living area, Luque said.
"In the course of putting out the fire, crews found what was believed to be a pot growing operation in the garage," he said. Indoor grow lights and a number of plants were destroyed in the flames, he said.
It took crews about 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the garage and its contents and caused smoke damage throughout the structure.
A resident of the home told authorities he was licensed to grow the marijuana for medicinal purposes, Luque said. San Diego police called in a narcotics task force and two renters were taken into custody, Luque said.
Firefighters said they would have arrived sooner but four of the engine companies that normally serve that part of Clairemont, were unavailable.
"Three because of mechanical -- required mechanical checks that were going on at the time, and the fourth was browned out, so units had to come from farther way meaning there was longer than average response time to get to get to this fire and get water on this fire," Maurice Luque said.
The fire caused about $600,000 damage too the house, Luque said. The cause was under investigation.
