A blazing refrigerator full of weed sent area firefighters to an East Oakland warehouse this morning, but so far, the owner of the pot and the cause of the fire remain a mystery.
The Oakland Fire Department was called to the warehouse on the 400 block of Pendelton Way, near the Oakland Airport, at 6:08 this morning, fire Captain Lester Mahoney said.
The 25 responding firefighters quickly contained the smoky fire, during which they discovered that the source of the blaze was, reports the Oakland Tribune, a 23-cubic-foot refrigerator packed full of "marijuana packaged in plastic cylinders."
The warehouse owner told police and fire officials that the warehouse has several tenants. Oakland police spokesperson Officer Johnna Watson says that they are presently "looking into who was renting the space."
The exact amount and value of the weed has yet to be determined, Watson said.
According to a cannabis expert SFist calls on for such things, while casual users are advised against storing their dope in the fridge (though many respondents in this weed enthusiasts forum disagree), if the warehouse tenants were instead in the pot business, refrigeration of this nature makes a great deal of sense. According to our expert, when cut and cured properly, marijuana that is kept dry and packaged correctly can be kept fresh in the fridge until the market offers an optimal price for sale.
That, or until their next trip to the Belmont Baskin Robbins.