Man charged after power line fire at pot growing operation
DURYEA, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Drug charges were filed Monday against a Massachusetts man after a burning power line in Duryea led police to a marijuana grow operation back in August of 2024, according to court records.
Police say after investigating arching wires that caused a fire, along with a smell of natural gas, they discovered an alleged marijuana grow operation inside a home in the 200 block of Marcy Street.
The fire department, along with the police department, made forced entry into the home to ensure the safety of anyone potentially living in the residence after a smell of natural gas near the gas meter, according to the affidavit.
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Police say that when inside the home, they found over 600 marijuana plants growing.
Police, along with members of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, later returned with a search warrant and said they found 'what appeared to be an extensive marijuana grow operation'.
Police say they found heaters, fans, Co2 tanks, and air filtration systems. A PPL representative who responded to the scene said the amount of power being drawn by items in the home is what caused the line to catch fire, according to court records.
According to police, by using evidence found in the home, they identified Minchao Yu, 43, with a last known address of Allston, Massachusetts, as the homeowner and used Yu's bank records to trace various building materials of the grow operation to Yu.
Yu has not been arrested and is facing charges of manufacturing, possessing with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and risking a catastrophe.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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