Alturas, Calif. – Crews fighting a wildfire in northern California were pulled from the line after a marijuana grow was discovered on public land.
The Modoc County Sheriff’s Office said they were made aware of the illegal grow on the evening of July 25 during efforts to contain the Cove Fire.
The sheriff responded to the scene and determined the operation was on public land.
While at the scene, two unidentified people were seen sitting on a ridge near the fire.
MSCO said they determined the scene of the fire wasn’t safe for firefighters, so they were pulled from the line at around 1:00 p.m.
On July 27, the scene was secured by law enforcement officers.
Firefighters were able to return to the scene, allowing officers to remove eradicate 1,870 marijuana plants and dispose of 600 pounds of trash.
No arrests were made.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.