Part of cannabis producer Canopy Growth’s idled greenhouse complex in Delta, British Columbia, went up in flames over the weekend.
Dozens of firefighters were part of seven crews dispatched to the facility Sunday morning, according to a news release from the city.
In a statement to Marijuana Business Daily, Canopy said the site has not been operational in months.
“So thankfully there wasn’t anyone on site, nor were there any plants on site. We’d like to thank the Delta Fire and Emergency Services for their brave work containing the fire,” according to an emailed statement by Jordan Sinclair, vice president of communications for the Smiths Falls, Ontario-based company.
The structure is part of a 1.7 million-square-foot facility that was once considered the largest legal cannabis greenhouse in the world.
Canopy closed the greenhouse earlier this year to “align the company’s cultivation capacity with projected demand.”
Back in October 2017, Canopy formed a joint venture – called BC Tweed – to develop cannabis greenhouses in British Columbia, including the facility in Delta.
In July 2018, Canopy spent nearly 500 million Canadian dollars ($375 million) in stock and cash to acquire the remaining one-third interest of the joint venture it didn’t already own.
Canopy’s Delta greenhouse is among millions of square feet of cannabis canopy sitting idle in Canada after the industry significantly overshot the production capacity needed to meet demand.
“The Battalion Chief on scene confirmed with the structure manager that there were no chemicals or fertilizers in the affected building,” the statement reads. “There is currently no indication of toxic or hazardous smoke that may harm residences in the surrounding area coming out of the fire.”
The cause of fire is under investigation, according to the city.
