Benjamin Oreskes
Los Angeles Times
SYLMAR, Calif. — Three homes were destroyed and the remains of a woman and one other individual were found after an early-morning fire in Sylmar, California, that set off ammunition as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze.
Los Angeles firefighters responded to the scene in the 13700 block of Glenoaks Boulevard about 4:30 a.m. Sunday and found multiple structures ablaze, authorities said.
The remains of a woman and another person, whose gender has not yet been confirmed, as well as a dog were found inside one of the homes on the property.
Firefighters’ efforts to knock down the fire were hampered by the presence of ammunition in one of the homes, according to L.A. Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott. The blaze’s heat then set off the ammunition, leaving the impression that a gun was being fired, he said.
Once the fire was under control, firefighters found the human remains as well as multiple guns in one of the three houses on the property.
“I saw at least two, what appeared to be, automatic weapons — a rifle, ammunition lined up,” Scott told KTLA-TV. “That obviously concerns us — why is that out?”
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Authorities have not yet released any information about the identity of the deceased people. Dogs were used to search for human remains, and Los Angeles police were assisting in the investigation.
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