SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Two people died in a house fire in a Southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood, officials said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the blaze broke out at a home near Southwest 67th Drive and 108th Avenue, just after 9:30 a.m. on Friday.
Firefighters found the two victims inside the home. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to fire officials, there was more than one point of ignition, and it appears there was hoarding inside the home, making it a more hazardous and flammable condition.
For this reason, the fire was upgraded to a second-alarm fire, which essentially dispatches more units to the fire fight.
“The fire expanded itself pretty quickly inside. It became a second-alarm fire,” said 7Skyforce Ralph Rayburn.
Neighbors described the massive response.
“What I saw is smoke and the fire department coming in, and then we came to the backyard and we saw the firefighters breaking in, and there’s a body on the ground over there, under the yellow tarp,” said area resident Mario Pena.
“Then within seconds, minutes the whole entire block was sealed off,” said area resident Bill Lozano.
While crews were able to knock down the fire within a matter of minutes, the shutters on the home made it more difficult to ventilate the structure.
Family members of the victims arrived at the scene and were visibly distraught. They were seen crying and hugging after learning the tragic news.
One woman could be heard asking “What happened? Do you know anything?”
The structure appeard to be a single-family home from the outside. However, reports state that the house was sectioned off on the inside and converted into several efficiencies, which may have been done illegally.
Officials have not confirmed any information regarding the legalities of the conversion.
Most noticeably, investigators were seen going in and out the home, retrieving five rifles from the inside and laying them out on the lawn.
7Skyforce hovered above the scene where apparent rifle cases and a crossbow lined the lawn.
“They are taking rifles out of the house now. These are rifles there on the pavers,” said Rayburn.
Neighbors said their hearts break for those who lost their lives.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear that and to see that,” said Pena.
“It’s very unfortunate. It’s devastating,” said Lozano.
Detectives spent all of Friday speaking to neighbors and investigating the incident.
Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office are on scene and assisting the fire department with their investigation.
Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire while deputies are conducting a homicide investigation.
The victims’ cause of death will be determined by the autopsy from the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.
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