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2 dead in Sacramento abandoned office building fire

Sacramento firefighters found the bodies during a secondary search after facing heavy fire and smoke conditions on arrival

By Darrell Smith
The Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two people were found dead inside a vacant office building that caught fire in midtown Sacramento early Tuesday.

Sacramento Fire Department firefighters discovered their bodies and a dog that also died inside the building in the 1000 block of 19th Street. All three were found in an office space inside the vacant building.

Fire crews arrived at what officials described as heavy smoke and fire conditions just before 6 a.m. It was during a secondary search of the structure, adjacent to the building occupied by Old Spaghetti Factory, that crews made their discovery.

Temperatures in the clear, cold overnight hours were at or below freezing into early Tuesday as firefighters worked to knock down the flames. Morning temperatures in the Sacramento area were forecast to be near or below freezing through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service .

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has not yet identified the two victims.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

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