(LA JUNTA, Colo.) — Two people were found dead following a structure fire that spread to a second home on Sunday, May 26 in La Junta.

According to the La Junta Fire Department (LJFD), fire crews responded to a reported structure fire around 6 a.m. on Sunday in the 1200 block of Rice Avenue. By the time crews arrived, LJFD said the fire had spread to a second home.

LJFD said firefighting efforts were difficult, due to hoarding conditions in the home. After the fire was extinguished, the two people who lived in the home were reportedly unaccounted for, LJFD said.

Investigators with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) responded along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Otero County Coroner. LJFD said crews worked long hours Sunday and into Monday to process the scene and remove large amounts of debris, at which point the two residents of the home were found dead.

LJFD said autopsies were scheduled for the two people, which will determine the official cause of death.

At the time of the investigation, LJFD said there was no evidence of foul play, as the fire origin of the fire appears to have come from a utility room in the basement of the home. The fire has been ruled accidental, LJFD said.

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