GRIMSBY — An illegal marijuana extraction lab has been found inside of a greenhouse that was destroyed by fire over the weekend.

Niagara Regional Police Services Cont. Phil Gavin said an extraction lab was located inside the greenhouse but was unsure if it had anything with the fire that ravaged the greenhouse Saturday.

"It is essentially where they take cannabis and transform it through a process into illegal byproducts," said Gavin of the lab.

The Ontario Fire Marshal's office was called in to investigate the blaze. Gavin said the scene was likely to be released soon and that the OFM had collected the evidence it needed to make a determination as to the cause of the fire.

There was no one on the premises when emergency responders arrived on scene Saturday. There was nothing actively growing in the greenhouse, Gavin said,

Crews from Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln responded to the blaze on Sobie Road around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sixteen fire units responded as crews called for more water tankers and manpower to battle the stubborn blaze.

Early estimates peg the damage at around $200,000.

http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/5188179-illegal-lab-discovered-in-burned-greenhouse/