Two people were killed Wednesday morning after a house fire sparked in southeastern Denver’s Washington Virginia Vale neighborhood, fire officials said.

Denver firefighters responded to the fire near East Dakota Avenue and South Niagara Street at about 4:49 a.m. Wednesday, Denver Fire Department spokesperson Luis Cedillo said in a news conference .

That’s south of East Alameda Avenue and east of South Monaco Street Parkway.

Cedillo said it was originally reported as a trash fire. When crews arrived at the home, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the building.

Denver firefighters extricated an elderly couple from inside the home and paramedics took them to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead, Cedillo said. The two were the only people living in the building.

He said one of the victims was found by the front door and the other in the bedroom. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will identify both victims at a later date.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“There was so much heavy fire and smoke in the rear of the home that it burnt the entire roof from the home,” Cedillo said.

The fire was knocked down just before 5:30 a.m., according to the fire department .

Fire crews will remain in the area through the rest of Wednesday morning to make sure the flames don’t rekindle and any hot spots are extinguished, Cedillo said.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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