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Marijuana Farm Behind Barclays Center Goes Up in Smoke, Police Say

 A man was arrested in Prospect Heights June 8, 2014 after a fire broke out in his home and firefighters found 40 marijuana plants, police said.
A man was arrested in Prospect Heights June 8, 2014 after a fire broke out in his home and firefighters found 40 marijuana plants, police said.
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PROSPECT HEIGHTS — His stash went up in a blaze.

A 45-year-old man was arrested Sunday after an extension cord he used to power a set of plant-growing lights over his 40 marijuana bushes sparked a fire, drawing a team of firefighters who noticed the illegal pot farm, police said.

Antonio Dow, 45, was busted on charges of criminal drug possession and intent to sell after firefighters found the plants in his apartment behind Barclays Center as well as in his backyard, police said.

“He was growing substantial plants and his electrical wiring short-circuited, and that’s what caused a very smoky fire,” Capt. Peter Rose of the 77th Precinct said Monday night. “They found these plants that were the size of small shrubs.”

The fire department responded to 577 Vanderbilt Ave. between Pacific and Dean streets about 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the FDNY. It was extinguished about 20 minutes later. The building was not damaged in the fire and no one was hurt, Rose said.

Police also found a collection of loose bullets in the apartment, along with a rifle cartridge with seven .38-caliber Winchester bullets, but no gun, according to the criminal complaint.

Dow was arraigned Monday and ordered held on $10,000 bail, according to his criminal complaint. He is due back in court June 13. Information on Dow's lawyer was not immediately available.