Calif. police training center burns, not known if connected to earlier booby traps

Calif police firing range burns, booby trap probed

HEMET, Calif. — California officials are trying to determine what started a blaze at a police firing range and whether it was connected to a string of attacks on police officers.

Capt. Dave Brown said Monday investigators were probing the cause of the fire, which broke out around 2 a.m. He said the fire burned a converted trailer at the end of the range, though he didn’t immediately know the extent of the damage.

The facility, in a remote area west of Hemet, was not occupied and no one was hurt.

Since New Year’s Eve, police officers have been the targets of at least three potentially deadly booby traps, and a fleet of city trucks was set ablaze last month.

Brown stressed it was too soon to connect the blaze to any other incidents.