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The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is investigating a fire that ravaged a home in Gig Harbor Tuesday night.

PCSO deputy Carly Cappetto called the fire near 14th Avenue Northwest “suspicious” after it was discovered that a man whose body was pulled from the house did not die from the fire or from natural causes. However, she stopped short of calling it arson.

“This was a suspicious fire in nature,” she said. “It wasn’t caused from any of the natural reasons a fire would start.”

House Fire with Two Deceased

Pierce County Deputies, along with Gig Harbor Fire, responded to a fully engulfed house fire located at the 15500 Block of 14th Ave. NW in Gig Harbor. Two deceased victims have been located inside the home.

— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff)

Neighbors hear explosion before Gig Harbor house catches fire

Capetto also said neighbors heard a commotion before the fire.

“Deputies had interviewed some bystanders and some neighbors who reported, just prior to the fire, they had heard and felt a large explosion, and then the house fully was engulfed in flames,” she shared.

Capetto said the body of a second victim, who also appeared to be an adult, will remain in the rubble until it’s safe enough for first responders to remove them. However, it’s unclear how the person died.

“It was too burned to really see if there were other unnatural causes of death for that particular victim,” Capetto said.

She said the fire marshal will determine what caused the explosion and the fire. Meanwhile, a medical examiner will determine how the victims died, confirm their identities, and determine if they were the residents of the home.

“It was a rental home, and people had only recently moved into it two weeks prior,” Capetto explained.

Contributing: Heather Bosch, ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest