CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Many questions remain surrounding a garage fire in a Great Bridge neighborhood, where crews discovered the bodies of two people inside.
The Chesapeake Fire Department responded to a two-story, detached garage fire Thursday around 5 a.m. in the 900 block of N. Haven Circle. Heavy flames could be seen coming from the second floor.
After fighting the flames for nearly an hour, firefighters located the bodies.
"One was on the first floor and the other was on the second. And that’s how they were found," said Assistant Fire Marshal Steven Bradley.
The garage is located behind a house.
The people found dead have been identified as Chantele McGurn and Jacob Lister, both 25 years old and residents of Chesapeake.
Bradley said the department was told the individuals lived at the home, but officials do not believe anyone lived in the garage. He also said firefighters must sort through everything in the garage and recreate the scene, which will take time.
“It is a detached garage and just like most garages— there’s a lot of stuff in there," said Bradley.
The Medical Examiner's Office is working to figure out the cause of death.
Thursday afternoon, Chesapeake Fire Marshal's ruled the fire 'undetermined,' meaning the cause cannot be proven.
"It definitely places more of a priority in what we do. There’s lives involved here. It’s not just articles that were lost," said Bradley.
The Chesapeake Fire Marshal's Office and Chesapeake Police Department are working together to investigate the case.
The investigation is ongoing.
Author's Note: The video below is on file from Nov. 25, 2020.