Fire crews stumbled across a stash of suspected cannabis plants as they tackled a blaze at a block of flats.
One man was rescued from the roof of the burning building in St Pauls on Saturday (October 17), after climbing out from a top-floor window to escape the smoke.
A woman and two children were also evacuated from the building in Bishop Street, shortly after 11am, and everyone managed to get out safely.
One neighbour told Bristol Live that, even after firefighters left, a police officer remained on guard outside the entrance and two police cars were parked in nearby Portland Square.
Avon and Somerset Police has now confirmed why they were involved in the incident, and said officers seized "a number of suspected cannabis plants" from inside.
A spokesperson said: "We received a call from the fire service after firefighters found a number of suspected cannabis plants during an incident they were dealing with in St Pauls.
"Four people within the block of flats in Bishop Street had been evacuated by fire crews during the incident.
"Western Power was also called to the scene to make sure the building was safe before officers could enter the address and seize the plants."
Police remained on scene until Sunday afternoon, and enquiries are continuing.
The force was unable to confirm how many plants were seized, or what their potential street value was.
No arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with information can report it online via the force's website, or call 101, quoting reference number 5220235663.
The fire service has not yet confirmed the cause of the blaze.
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