2 Dead In Lake Elsinore House Fire

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Two people died at the scene of a house fire in Lake Elsinore Monday morning, and now officials are working to determine what may have sparked the blaze, the Riverside County Fire Department reports.

The fire was first reported at 6:10 a.m. in the 100 block of South Massachusetts Street, near Summer Lake Park, according to Jody Hagemann of the fire department.

"The first arriving engine company reported heavy smoke and fire visible from the west side of the two-story home," she said, adding that the fire temporarily threatened adjacent structures because of windy conditions.

A total of 34 firefighters responded to the scene and discovered two people inside the house who "perished at the scene," Hagemann said.

As of 2:15 p.m., coroner's officials said they were still working to identify the two victims.

Monetary losses in the incident are estimated at $385,000.

— Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone