Firefighters Discover Illegal Marijuana-Growing Operation

Riverside County firefighters said they were responding to a garage fire Wednesday when they came across a marijuana-growing operation in an unincorporated area of Desert Hot Springs.

The fire started just before 10 a.m. in a detached garage of a home on Sagebrush Trail, near Buckboard Lane.

Once alerted about the discovery of the pot by firefighters, a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy could be seen removing several large marijuana plants from the garage.

Kevin Burgo, 25, who rents the home, was arrested on suspicion of illegally growing marijuana.

Corey Koemans, who lives up the street from Burgo, was shocked to hear about the marijuana haul investigators said they made at his neighbor’s home.

“Insane, knowing in our neighborhood something like that was going on, wow,” said Koemans.

Firefighters had the garage fire contained in about 25 minutes.