2 Deputies In Critical Condition After Fire At Jail Shooting Range

CASTAIC, CA — Two sheriff’s deputies were severely injured when a fire broke out Tuesday during a training exercise inside a mobile shooting range trailer near Pitchess Detention Center, according to authorities.

The blaze erupted around 9:30 a.m. in the 53-foot tractor-trailer on the grounds of the jail in the 29300 block of The Old Road in Castaic, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County deputies — a 17-year veteran at the North County Correctional Facility and a 20-year veteran at Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse — were in stable but critical condition as of early Tuesday afternoon due to injuries primarily related to burns, according to Dr. Louie-Marc Contreras of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, who spoke at a press conference streamed on social media by the sheriff’s department.

The fire was still being extinguished around 5 p.m., authorities said. Unspent ammunition in the area of the range posed an extreme danger, Sheriff Robert Luna said at the press conference Tuesday afternoon. The jail remained on lockdown while firefighters worked but there was no threat to the inmates, authorities said.

Mobile ranges countywide were temporarily closed while authorities assessed the situation, according to Luna, who said arson and explosive experts would investigate, entering the area when it is deemed safe after the materials and debris have cooled.

“At the end of the day, we have two deputies that have significant injuries here,” he said, noting the victims were inside the trailer when the fire broke out. “We do not want this to happen again.”

In accordance with protocol, the sheriff's department notified the California Office of Emergency Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about the incident.