ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The bodies of two elderly residents were found Thursday night by Orange County Fire Rescue inside a home on Ridge Terrace during a fire.

Firefighters responded to the scene for a house fire just before 8 p.m. While battling the flames, they discovered the two deceased individuals.

The sheriff’s office is working to determine if their deaths involved foul play. 

What You Need To Know

  • The state fire marshal will be investigating the cause of the fire

  •  Orange County investigators will be looking into whether there was foul play

  •  There is no word on a suspected cause of the fire at this time

One woman, who was visiting her sister nearby, said the area is a tight-knit community. 

“We just heard some noises, and then the neighbor called and said the house was on fire, and we came down and watched them try to get the flames out,” said Pam Horton.

Authorities have not released the identities of the deceased yet, but neighbors say they’re devastated to see this happen before the holidays.

“My sister and I have been praying inside, hoping they weren’t home,” Horton said.