Two people died when fire swept through an apartment building in Pleasant Hill early Tuesday morning, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District officials said.
Firefighters responded to a call for help at about 3:30 a.m. at 8 Donegal Way, off Pleasant Hill Road near Taylor Blvd. Crews found two units heavily engulfed in flames upon arrival, Contra Costa County fire Capt. Robert Marshall said.
Residents said at least one person was inside the burning structure, but firefighters soon discovered that two people were unable to escape the blaze, Marshall said. Lafayette residents on the east end of their town anxiously queried Patch about the fire's location as smoke and sirens filled the air.
Fire officials have not released the identities of the two deceased victims, but they reported that both fatalities were in the same apartment.
The fire left 60 people displaced and the Red Cross arrived at the scene to assist them.
"We think there was a delay in the reporting of the fire." Marshall said. "We don't think the smoke detectors in the unit were working."
Marshall said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
