Cheery firefighters battle marijuana-fueled blaze

After a half an hour that firefighters spent fighting a blaze in which 2,000 pounds (907 kilos) of marijuana went up in smoke they could easily fail a drug test, a fire chief said.

It took more than 35 firefighters, 1,000 gallons (3,785 liters) of water and five gallons (19 liters) of chemical suppressant to extinguish the warehouse blaze on Wednesday, Fire Chief Shawn Snider said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were investigating the origin of the drugs. Local officials were investigating whether arson was the cause.

Snider said Thursday the firefighters were exposed to so much marijuana smoke that they would not be able to pass a drug test, despite wearing air packs to prevent them from inhaling toxic or hazardous fumes.