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Deputies Severely Injured In Fire At Pitchess Detention Center
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna speaks at a news conference on Oct. 10, 2023.
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Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were severely injured Tuesday in a fire at a training center at Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, authorities said.
The fire broke out around 9:30 a.m. inside a mobile shooting range trailer at the facility, Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference.
The identities of the deputies were not released, however, Luna said one deputy has been with the department for 21 years and the other for 17 years.
Pitchess Detention Center remains on lockdown with no threat to people at the center.
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“In the abundance of caution, the mobile ranges across the county have been temporarily closed while we assess the situation at the Pitchess Detention Center and the trailer there,” Luna said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with the arson and explosive detail from the sheriff’s department on the scene.
“Unfired ammunition are still within the area of the mobile range and pose an extreme danger to the investigators and the first responders at this time,” Luna said. “Once the material and debris have cooled, the investigation will resume.”
Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Ewald added that firefighters were also able to contain the spread of the fire inside the 53-foot trailer by also removing an adjoining trailer out of the way.
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