2 dead in fire at home on Detroit's north side

Detroit fire officials are working to determine what sparked a blaze Monday that left two people dead at a home on the city's north side.

Crews were called to the residence in the 20400 block of Tracey near Eight Mile about 1:40 p.m. and found the structure ablaze, said Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell.

Firefighters found the victims in a second-floor bedroom after extinguishing the flames within 10-15 minutes, he said. Both were badly burned.

The victims were believed to be a 78-year-old and another person in their 60s, Fornell said.

Their gender was not immediately clear. Both were believed to be disabled; one appeared to have been bedridden and the other used a walker, Fornell said.

Authorities initially received reports about an explosion at the home and are investigating whether an oxygen tank burst as a result of the fire, he said.

The two appeared to have been the only ones inside the home at the time, Fornell said.