UPDATE: Firefighter injured battling 3-alarm fire at suspected San Leandro pot grow warehouse
SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) -- A firefighter suffered minor injuries in an overnight 3-alarm fire inside a massive San Leandro warehouse housing a suspected marijuana grow operation in San Leandro.
Fire officials said crews were dispatched on reports of a fire at a large warehouse on 139th Ave and Washington Ave in San Leandro at around 9:30 p.m.
It quickly grew to three alarms bringing more than 50 firefighters to the scene. Several factors forced fire crews to take a defensive stance, dumping water on the flames from outside the heavily fortified building.
"We pulled everyone out of the building," said Alameda Fire Division Chief Paige Bowie. "It was high heat, poor visibility. We realized we were not going to attack the fire interiorly safely."
One of the incident commanders told KPIX 5 they believe the property might have been used for marijuana cultivation, but Bowie said crews had not been inside enough to confirmed it.
The building was fortified with additional security doors and gates, making it almost impossible for firefighters to gain access.
One firefighter was sent to the hospital with minor injuries. There were no other injuries reported.
Crews were expected to be on the scene for several hours Wednesday morning, extinguishing smoldering hot spots.
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