Weapons Stockpile Found In Calif. Home

Firefighters responding to a blaze at a Riverside County home Thursday found more than 1 million rounds of ammunition and a cache of firearms inside, authorities said.

It was believed to be the largest cache of ammunition ever discovered in the county, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said.

Authorities made the find around 3:30 p.m. as they responded to a fire at a single-story home in Norco, about 45 miles east of Los Angeles, Gutierrez said.

As they searched the house and garage, crews discovered metal and wooden boxes of ammunition for shotguns, small handguns and assault rifles, he said.

Sheriff's personnel and hazardous materials teams later arrived. In all, more than 1 million rounds, 20 firearms and 75 pounds of black ammunition powder were discovered, Gutierrez said.

The home's resident, an unidentified man, allegedly fought with firefighters when they first arrived in an attempt to run back inside. Authorities took him into custody, and said they planned to give the man a medical evaluation.

No arrests had been made, and investigators said they don't believe the cache was connected to organized crime.

Also discovered was a 4-by-8-foot hole in the garage that leads to a tunnel, Gutierrez said. Authorities were trying to ensure it was safe before entering.

Last April, authorities said they found more than 1,300 weapons and 89,000 rounds of ammunition from the San Bernardino County home of a man who claimed to belong to a militant group with aims to overthrow Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Robert Ferro of Upland faces counts of unlawfully owning and failing to register guns.