A Nov. 19 house fire in Covington led to the arrests of three people for possession and intent to distribute illegal drugs, according to the Covington Police Department.

Capt. Jack West, Covington police spokesman, said Covington firefighters were battling a blaze at 10 Rosemary Drive in the River Forest subdivision when they saw illegal drugs in plain view in the house. Firefighters alerted Covington police, who got a warrant to search the house.

West said police found 20 pills of Hydrocodone and Valium, plus 13 grams of high-grade marijuana. West said the marijuana has a street value of $5,000 a pound.

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West said the drugs police found were only a small part of what was actually in the house. However, the fire, which was started by an electrical short circuit, destroyed a room where police say the suspects had warehoused the drugs.

“We just got what we could find in other parts of the house,” West said.

Police arrested Kyle D. Venturella, 20, Ross M. Venturella, 18, and Mallory Mollere, 21. All lived at 10 Rosemary Drive in Covington.

Kyle Venturella was charged with second offense possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute narcotics in a drug-free zone, distribution of Schedule III narcotics and distribution of Schedule IV narcotics.

Ross Venturella was charged with simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, distribution of Schedule IV narcotics and distribution of narcotics in a drug-free zone. Mollere was charged with simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both Venturellas were booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail, and Mollere was released on a summons for simple possession of marijuana, West said.

West said the Covington police had prior knowledge the three were selling drugs to minors, but he could not say why they had not been arrested.