Preston cannabis farm discovered by firefighters during battle to save home from blaze

The illegal cannabis set up was found on the first floor of a home in Suffolk Road, Deepdale after a fire at the address yesterday morning (Sunday, May 19).

Fire crews had attended the home after receiving a 999 call at 8.34am, with the occupants reporting a fire in a room on the first floor.

Firefighters battled the blaze with hose reels and had to rely on breathing apparatus to protect themselves from thick, black smoke.

Within ten minutes, fire crews had called Lancashire Police to report a cannabis farm that they had found on the same floor as the fire.

After the fire was extinguished, police officers entered the home where they found a sophisticated cannabis set up in operation.

A police spokesman said: "We were called by the fire service at around 8.45am yesterday morning to the report of a fire at a property in Suffolk Road.

"A cannabis set up was discovered on the first floor and is under investigation.

"It doesn’t look like anyone has been arrested at the moment."

The fire service could not confirm whether the equipment being used to grow cannabis had cause the fire.

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Four fire engines from Preston, Fulwood and Penwortham were called to a house fire on Suffolk Road, Preston.

"Firefighters used six breathing apparatus and two hose reels to extinguish the fire.

"No injuries were reported."

Anyone with information can call 101 quoting incident reference no. 413 of May 19.