Mountain View

Gun Enthusiast Dies in Mountain View Fire, Ammo Explodes in Garage: Neighbor

A gun enthusiast died in his Mountain View home on Thursday morning during a one-alarm fire that set off live rounds of ammunition in the garage, firefighters said.

The fire broke out in the 700 block of Lola Lane about 3:30 a.m.

When firefighters arrived, they found the man dead in his bedroom.

Gary Macloud said he wanted to save his neighbor, "Dan," whom he identified as a gun aficionado and gun writer. But when he saw the thick smoke and the flames, he knew he couldn't help.

"We were yelling, Dan, Dan, Dan," Macloud said. "Your first instinct is to go in and try to do something."

But then he said, he stopped himself: "You realize if you go in there, you probably won't make it."

Mountain View Deputy Fire Chief Juan Diaz said the cause of the fire is unde investigation, but fire officials said that the guns and ammunition did not start the blaze. In fact, the fire cause the ammunition to go off and exacerbate the fire.

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