The bodies of a man, woman and dog were found after firefighters extinguished a blaze at a primary home and two back houses in Sylmar, where firefighters reported heavy ammunition was being “cooked off” Sunday morning, Dec. 3, authorities said.
Firefighters were called to the 13700 block of North Glenoaks Boulevard before 4:45 a.m. and attacked the fire from outside in a defensive mode at the 1.6-acre property, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said. Firefighters had also received unconfirmed reports the house “was used in criminal dealings and could be booby-trapped.”
A call of shots fired was also generated in the same area, Los Angeles police said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze about 6 a.m., Stewart said. The body of a woman was found in a pool, while the bodies of a man and a dog were found within the rubble of the fire, police said.
Homicide detectives and patrol officers searched the area and “discovered thousands of rounds of ammunition and multiple firearms, what was believed to be a ballistic ordinance in the location,” police said. The department’s Bomb Squad was called out and “insured the ordinance was rendered safe.”
The three buildings were red-tagged by the city’s Department of Building & Safety, Stewart said. Officials, including arson investigators, had planned to be at the throughout the day Sunday to investigate.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division Gun Unit was processing the ammunition and firearms, police said.
The cause and origin of the fire were not known. No other injuries were reported.