PALMER -- A major fire Wednesday evening destroyed the cultivation operation of a new marijuana business in Wasilla.
The fire at Scorpion Grass, just off the Parks Highway, was called in just before 8 p.m., according to Ken Barkley, Mat-Su emergency services director.
It immediately drew a large response. Central Mat-Su Fire Department, based in Wasilla, responded. So did personnel from West Lakes, Houston, Willow, Butte and Palmer fire departments.
A grow operation “was in full swing,” Barkley wrote in a message. An associated dispensary wasn’t open yet because the owners were waiting for the crop to be ready, a business representative said.
The fire destroyed the large warehouse area but the administrative area might be salvageable, Barkley said.