Prospect Heights Weed Farm Goes Up in Smoke

Kenny Ross/Brokelyn Photo: Kenny Ross/Brokelyn/Kenny Ross/Brokelyn

Brooklyn's locally sourced weed industry took a hit over the weekend, when firefighters called to a Prospect Heights brownstone discovered a large growing operation in the basement. According to the NYPD, the Sunday afternoon blaze at Vanderbilt Avenue and Dean Street was caused by the heat lamps warming the more than 40 marijuana plants that made up 45-year-old Antonio Dow's indoor pot farm. A search of the home also turned up some loose bullets, but no gun. 

"They found these plants that were the size of small shrubs," the 77th Precinct's Peter Rose told DNAinfo. "He was growing substantial plants and his electrical wiring short-circuited, and that's what caused a very smoky fire." Did the incident result in everyone in the immediate area getting totally stoned? Unclear but, as someone told Brokelyn, "Funny, I rode by several hours earlier and there were a million fire engines there and I remember thinking, 'Wow people around here smoke a lot of pot.'" Dow was arrested and charged with criminal drug possession and intent to sell. A true bummer.