By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
About six months ago, Glenn County Sheriff’s detectives began receiving complaints about a strong odor of marijuana coming from the building at 827 South Tehama Street, Willows.
Detective Travis Johnsen investigated the building twice, once on July 15 and again on July 27. Both times Det. Johnsen went near the property, he could smell the strong odor of what he recognized to be fresh marijuana, not burnt marijuana. The smell was obviously coming from the property.
On July 27, Det. Johnsen spoke over the phone with Willows Fire Chief Wayne Peabody. Chief Peabody told Det. Johnsen that on May 22, the Willows Fire Department was dispatched to the Tehama Street property for a report of arcing power lines.
Peabody explained the lines were arcing near the service drop at the property. The service drop is where the power lines actually attach to the building and go to the main electrical panel.
The fire department responded and extinguished the fire.
Chief Peabody also said that on July 25, the Willows Fire Department responded again to the property for a report of the power lines on fire at the building. During both incidents, the fire chief was unable to contact anyone inside.
Chief Peabody noted the building was completely covered and all doors and windows had plastic sheets preventing anyone from being able to see inside. The chief attempted to look in all the windows in an attempt to see if there was smoke or active fire in the building, but he was unable to see inside.
Chief Peabody told Det. Johnsen the most likely cause of both fires was too much electricity going through the power lines, which were not designed to supply the amount of electricity the building was currently using. This is especially noteworthy since in the past the building had been used to serve as a shop with welding and other tools that would have required a significant amount of power.
Chief Peabody told Det. Johnsen that both times he responded to the building, there was the strong odor of marijuana at the property. The chief believed there were more than six plants (the maximum number that can legally be grown) inside the building both times he responded.
Because the fire chief could not make contact with anyone inside the building, he requested PG&E disconnect the power to the building for safety.
Det. Johnsen was aware that marijuana cultivation sites normally use a very large amount of electricity to operate grow lights, fans, air purifiers, and other electrical devices. It is not unusual for a marijuana cultivation site to use up to three times the power that a building or residence normally uses.
Glenn County Sheriff’s Detective Zachery Lopeteguy went to the property on July 27. He was able to see into the fenced area through a break in the fence.
He saw what appeared to be large pots filled with potting soil, and a Honeywell air conditioner or air purifier. These items are consistent with marijuana cultivation sites.
A records check with the City of Willows showed there was no business registered at the location.
Members of the Glenn Investigations and Narcotics Task Force (GLINTF), with the assistance of several outside agencies, executed a marijuana-related search warrant at the South Tehama Street property on July 27. The Willows Fire Department, PG&E and CHP also responded to the area for a power line that melted, fell across Tehama Street, and started a small grass fire two days earlier.
The Willows Fire Department put out the fire and turned off the power to the building at during that incident.
During the service of the search warrant on July 27, investigators found a commercial grade marijuana grow inside of the heavily fortified building. The building and shop behind it were converted into a two-story building, which included living quarters for several individuals.
Investigators found about 3,000 marijuana stems in grow pots throughout the building. Unknown persons removed most of the marijuana from the premises prior to the service of the search warrant, leaving only the base stems.
The involved parties left behind cultivation equipment, including LED grow lighting, miscellaneous chemicals and carbon dioxide air tanks. It appeared the involved parties illegally installed several central air conditioning units to the building and completed other non-permitted electrical modifications on the building.
The electrical modifications are considered contributory to the electrical overload and melted the downed power line several days earlier.
The City of Willows responded and deemed the building uninhabitable. Investigators did not locate any persons inside of the building during the service of the search warrant.
Investors from out of the area are responsible for the property. GLINTF is still investigating the incident.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance in the safe execution of this operation: the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office, Glenn County Probation Department, and the Willows Fire Department.
The Glenn County Observer 