8:05am | Two people died in a Long Beach house fire early this morning, when pack rat conditions kept an otherwise controllable fire from being extinguished by firefighters.
An elderly male and an elderly female were found deceased in the home at 5th & Grand. The cause of death has not yet been determined, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The Long Beach Fire Department responded to a call of smoke investigation at around 2:40am this morning, according to LBFD spokesperson Joshua Johnson. A station is located very nearby and firefighters arrived quickly to see flames emerging from both sides of the house. The fire was manageable but the amount of debris inside the house kept firefighters from entering to fully extinguish the blaze.
Johnson said that the house was filled with loose papers, books and extra furniture that prevented firefighters from gaining necessary access.