Firefighters discovered about 40 cannabis plants after they were called to a flat in West Street, Harwich.
A fire alarm went off at the ground floor apartment on Friday at 7.20pm.
Firefighters tackled a blaze and reported the flat was heavily smoke logged.
Police were alerted and a joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out to establish the cause.
A man aged 18 has been charged with cultivating cannabis and bailed to appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court on February 17.
The fire service recently launched a community safety campaign to raise awareness of the growing menace of cannabis factories, which put the lives of communities and firefighters at risk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel